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The Bottom Line
Michelle and Chris Gerard

Every Metro Detroit Restaurant Marcus Samuelsson Visits on ‘No Passport Required’

Where to find Iraqi samoon, Lebanese kanafeh, Turkish coffee, and more

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The Bottom Line
| Michelle and Chris Gerard

In the first episode of “No Passport Required,” chef and host Marcus Samuelsson visits Detroit to get a closer look at the city’s Middle Eastern community. Known as the “Arab capital of North America,” the area encompassing Detroit and Dearborn is home to hundreds of food establishments owned by immigrants from across the Middle East. People have been migrating from the greater Syrian region since the 1870s, delivering the flavors of their home countries straight to southeastern Michigan.

Throughout episode one (stream it here), Samuelsson aims to break down the stereotypes surrounding the Middle Eastern community. This community is both complex and connected, steeped in tradition but progressive in its ability to reach people from all backgrounds. Immigrant-owned restaurants serve more than just authentic Middle Eastern food; they provide much-needed spaces where people can meet up, dine together, and support one another. Here are the restaurants featured in this episode, listed in order of appearance.


No Passport Required is produced for PBS by Eater and Vox Entertainment, part of Vox Media. Tune in or stream full episodes Tuesdays at 9/8c on PBS. (Check local listings.) Get more information on the show at pbs.org/nopassrequired.

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Naba Brick Oven Bakery

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Salwan Georges, a photojournalist from the Washington Post, kicks off the episode by taking Samuelsson to Naba Brick Oven Bakery. After trying Baghdad-style falafel topped with amba, a spicy mango sauce, they learn how to make samoon, a diamond-shaped Iraqi yeast bread.

Falafel with amba in samoon.

Hashems Roastery & Market

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After getting its start in Lebanon, Hashems Roastery & Market brought its signature Turkish coffee to Dearborn Heightsin 1977. Owner Adam Hashem is committed to both serving quality products and creating a social space where the Middle Eastern community can convene and connect.

The Bottom Line Coffee House

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Samuelsson explores the concept of “home” at The Bottom Line Coffee House, a cozy cafe where Detroit’s Middle Eastern and black communities intersect. Co-owner Noura Ballout chronicles their experience growing up in Lebanon and building a business that transcends cultural boundaries.

Selden Standard

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Lena Sareini is the pastry chef at Selden Standard, one of Detroit’s top restaurants serving New American cuisine. She features her take on halawa, a traditional Lebanese confection combining caramelized sugar and tahini, which is dipped in chocolate to resemble a candy bar. (Get the recipe here.)

Halawa bar at Selden Standard.

Phoenicia Restaurant

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Sameer Eid is a pioneer of Lebanese cuisine in America. His restaurant Phoenicia uses only the finest ingredients, hand-selected by Eid himself, and brings the flavors of Lebanon straight to Birmingham with plates of hashweh and baba ganoush.

Kibbeh nayyeh at Phoenicia.

Byblos Banquet Center

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Samuelsson speaks to chef Nahdie Shukr at Byblos Banquet Center as she prepares kibbeh, a raw halal beef dish, for her son’s 700-person wedding. Byblos caters the highest quality Middle Eastern fare to weddings and other formal events throughout the Dearborn and Detroit area.

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Naba Brick Oven Bakery

Salwan Georges, a photojournalist from the Washington Post, kicks off the episode by taking Samuelsson to Naba Brick Oven Bakery. After trying Baghdad-style falafel topped with amba, a spicy mango sauce, they learn how to make samoon, a diamond-shaped Iraqi yeast bread.

Falafel with amba in samoon.

Hashems Roastery & Market

After getting its start in Lebanon, Hashems Roastery & Market brought its signature Turkish coffee to Dearborn Heightsin 1977. Owner Adam Hashem is committed to both serving quality products and creating a social space where the Middle Eastern community can convene and connect.

The Bottom Line Coffee House

Samuelsson explores the concept of “home” at The Bottom Line Coffee House, a cozy cafe where Detroit’s Middle Eastern and black communities intersect. Co-owner Noura Ballout chronicles their experience growing up in Lebanon and building a business that transcends cultural boundaries.

Selden Standard

Lena Sareini is the pastry chef at Selden Standard, one of Detroit’s top restaurants serving New American cuisine. She features her take on halawa, a traditional Lebanese confection combining caramelized sugar and tahini, which is dipped in chocolate to resemble a candy bar. (Get the recipe here.)

Halawa bar at Selden Standard.

Phoenicia Restaurant

Sameer Eid is a pioneer of Lebanese cuisine in America. His restaurant Phoenicia uses only the finest ingredients, hand-selected by Eid himself, and brings the flavors of Lebanon straight to Birmingham with plates of hashweh and baba ganoush.

Kibbeh nayyeh at Phoenicia.

Byblos Banquet Center

Samuelsson speaks to chef Nahdie Shukr at Byblos Banquet Center as she prepares kibbeh, a raw halal beef dish, for her son’s 700-person wedding. Byblos caters the highest quality Middle Eastern fare to weddings and other formal events throughout the Dearborn and Detroit area.

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