I first met Christian a few years ago at Rooms with a View, a premier charitable design event that takes place annually at Southport Congregational Church. He was tasked with the almost-impossible assignment of transforming a commonplace chapel space into a pop-up dining venue fit for an elegant gala. I was eager to see what this larger than life man (he’s 6”5’!) with an equally as large personality would come up with. When told me that he was going to turn the mundane space into a floral covered café under a starlit sky I thought to myself, “Ok this is really cool,” followed immediately by “How the hell is he going to do that?”
Overlooking the Mediterranean sea, nestled among 3 hills and their valleys, is the beautiful, old town of Safita, Syria. Only a few miles from the long island sound, nestled between Westport and Fairfield proper, is the beautiful, month old middle eastern restaurant, SAFITA. It is the "Tale" of two Safitas, both with their charm, beauty, and authenticity. And it is just this authenticity that Kheder Hassoun and his family bring to this brand new Middle Eastern restaurant, situated where the old Chat 'N Chew used to be. Tiny in size but big in hospitality, Safita, at 2217 Post Road in Fairfield is pulling in the crowds, night after night. This is middle eastern at its finest, with "Ummu" ("mother" in Arabic) Amal in the kitchen, cooking up all her own recipes from scratch. This ain't your roadside Shawarma.
