Flavor of the Week: Aziza's on Main

Aziza's on Main

2110 E. Main St.

Aziza's is named after Rusty Fallen's mother, and the restaurant serves a mix of Lebanese dishes and southern classics that Rusty cooks in Aziza's honor. I stayed away from the southern things and went right for the Lebanese, although I'm sure the southern food is good, too.

Rusty had made stuffed squash, which was bursting with rice, meat and spices such as nutmeg and cinnamon that day. I can't say enough good things about the stuffed squash or the meat pie, which had a homemade crust. Also, the vegetarian sandwich, which was loaded with Portobello mushrooms, two types of squash, eggplant, roasted red peppers and lettuce and tomato, all on thinly sliced chewy bread, was delicious.

And then, there was the cream puff. At least four times the size of a normal cream puff and covered with chocolate - it was amazing.

Aside from the food, what really made the experience was Rusty. She was warm and welcoming, and gave me the feeling of being in my Italian grandmother's kitchen.

Aziza's is a restaurant, but everything is also available to go. Available for purchase is an assortment of hummus flavors, including original, olive, roasted red pepper and jalapeno. I asked Rusty what her favorite was, and she said since she liked spicy things, she liked the jalapeno. Since I put jalapenos in pretty much everything, I bought a tub. It was lemony and smooth with a subtle spicy after taste. There is also a great looking fennel and pistachio slaw, tabbouleh, a couscous salad and curried chicken salad.

Contact staff writer Alexandra Varipapa at

alexandra.varipapa@richmond.edu