Muna Market, located at 5464 Monroe St., opened two months ago and is already a popular addition to Toledo’s vibrant ethnic food scene.
Owner Joe Saadeh was born in Lebanon. He emigrated to the U.S. in 1980 and made Toledo his home. Joe also co-owns Sahara on Dussel Drive in Maumee and is a former owner of the Grape Leaf franchise. Joe and his business partner Emad Dahbor opened Muna Market to share their traditions with the community and to provide a taste of the old country.
Inside the powder-blue-and-tan building is a market stocked with fresh produce and packaged goods imported from Lebanon and other Middle Eastern countries. You’ll also find a butcher’s counter where halal beef, chicken, lamb and goat are cut to order. The halal designation means the meat has been prepared according to Muslim law.
The lunch counter at Muna serves up delicious eats, including Shish Kafta beef kebabs ($4.50) and Sujuk ($4.50), a spicy sausage served with pickles. Less adventurous diners may gravitate toward the cheeseburger ($5.50) or buffalo wrap ($6.50), with a different special on the hot line every day. There’s an in-house bakery, too, where baker Ali makes their pita and famous Zatar bread fresh daily.
A friend and I went in for lunch on a Tuesday afternoon. Muna, Joe’s daughter (for whom the market is named) took our order. I chose the Falafel Wrap ($3.95). My friend ordered the Chicken Gyro ($4.50) with house-made laban, a cucumber yogurt sauce similar to Greek tzatziki. We also shared mini pies of spinach, meat and cheese. Everything was generously spiced, especially the mini pies.
There were a few other patrons dining who chatted over lunch and lingered over coffee, just as you would in a friend’s home. Joe and Emad visited every table.
As we were finishing up our meal, Joe offered us Lebanese coffee. We must have looked like newbies, because one of the other diners leaned over and suggested we take it with some sugar, because it’s really strong.
We passed on the sugar, and though the coffee was potent, it was lovely. Lebanese coffee has a beautiful floral crema and a luxurious, silky finish. It’s served in delicate demitasse cups. Joe explained that the coffee is brewed with cardamom, a spice native to regions of India and Pakistan, which adds a subtle sweetness to the beverage and contributes to the enticing aroma. Joe even offered to “read my coffee” and tell my fortune. Sadly, I didn’t have any grounds in my cup for him to read. I’ll be back though, to find my fortune and to enjoy a cheese pie with the Sunday paper.
Muna Market is open from 8am-9pm
Monday-Saturday and 8am-8pm Sunday. Find their menu online at munamarket.com, and get updates at facebook.com/munamarket.
