The name Hajjar in Arabic means stone cutter.
Brothers Elias and Nas Hajjar honored their heritage through the name of the first restaurant they opened together, calling the space Stone Cut Bistro.
The 60-seat bistro, located at 4332 W. Central Ave., opened to the public on Nov. 21.
“We couldn’t have asked for a better setup,” Nas said. “The customers have been super happy and super excited.”
Patrons have told the staff that “they’ve just been looking for a good restaurant with a good community,” the younger brother said, and he hopes that this is what Stone Cut Bistro can provide to the area.
“This is now an opportunity for us to spread our wings a little bit and have some fun,” Elias said. “Not only in the kitchen, but out front, being creative in the hospitality of how we serve [and] being creative in the drink combinations.”
Nas has been working at the Beirut for the last four years, and will continue to do so, but said this opportunity to open a space with his brother is one that will allow him to grow and “build something in this city.”
“The only way to learn and the only way to grow is by changing and by doing things differently,” Elias said, who is also the owner of Poco Piatti and the Garden by Poco Piatti restaurants.
“To be able to watch [Nas] learn … has been why I wanted to do this with him.”
Featured fare
Its menu is reflective of similar flavors you might find at other Hajjar family establishments that have been local institutions for decades — but with a little flare.
The top five best-selling items are “the best things we have on the menu,” Elias said, mentioning that the Kafta Smash Burger is at the top of that list.
This kafta recipe has been in the Hajjar family for 40 years, the brothers said, recalling memories of butchering and grinding meat together in their family’s restaurants.
“We wanted to feature Kafta, but we didn’t want to just serve it the way we serve it at our restaurants now,” Elias continued. “We made a smash burger with a nice salad on top with fresh, homemade tzatziki, with some za’atar vinegar fries.”
Alongside the burger, the restaurant’s top hits have been a short rib dish, a beet-whipped feta dip, and more.
“The feta dip at Poco [Piatti] has been one of the highest sellers since we put it on the menu,” Elias said. “We didn’t just want to bring the feta dip from Poco. We wanted to do something different.”
The dip features roasted beets that are then whipped into the feta cheese, creating a beautiful pink color, and is topped off with fresh pomegranate seeds and pistachios.
A Thai-marinated chicken kebab created by Nas is another fun twist on the menu that branches out from menu items you might find at other Hajjar family restaurants.
The brothers, who are equal partners at the bistro, hope to eventually serve brunch and lunch items, too.
The vision
“How dishes were plated, how they were prepared, and how the kitchen was set up was all on the staff,” Elias noted.
“It was for them to play and figure out and learn what was going to work for them and for us. The best part of what we do as owners is provide those opportunities for people to grow and to learn and to get better at what they do, because then it makes us get better at what we do. It’s a circle of life.”
Steve Smith is the executive chef at Stone Cut Bistro, and said he is developing many of the restaurant’s menu items.
“[The menu is] an elevated twist on some traditional items,” the chef said. "I'm interested to see what we will come up with for the springtime.”
Smith’s vision is to provide guests with some seasonal menu options and Mediterranean-inspired dishes that are elevated, yet served in a more intimate setting.
Elias said the brothers chose a smaller space for Stone Cut Bistro because this restaurant is meant for the community to be able to feel at home, and to go from table to table to chat with one another about the food and experience.
“It’s so easy for us because it’s natural,” Elias continued. “This is who we are. We’re not trying to be somebody that we’re not.”
Stone Cut Bistro is open Tuesdays through Thursdays from 4 to 10 p.m. and Fridays and Saturdays from 4 to 11 p.m. For more information, visit its Instagram page @stone_cut_bistro.
First Published December 9, 2024, 12:54 p.m.
