Gehad Hadidi

Williamsburg, Brooklyn

As a total celebration of Levantine cuisine, the newly-opened Huda draws inspiration from Lebanese, Syrian, Palestinian, and Jordanian homes and kitchens. The menu showcases a modernized version of owner Gehad Hadidi’s Grandmother’s cooking from Damascus, Syria, including the fast-selling Shish barak—spiced meat dumplings in a decadent yogurt sauce. We chatted with Hadidi about the childhood memories of food and cooking that led him to this point, where you can find him when he’s not at Huda or La Bonne Soupe, plus the shoes he’s rocking every day in the kitchen.

Full name, age, where are you from?

Gehad Hadidi, turned 40 in December. Detroit, Michigan.

What is your title and where do you work?

Restaurateur, Huda and La Bonne Soupe.

Was food a big part of your upbringing?

It was and it still is. 

What are your earliest memories of dining out?

My summers as a child were spent in Damascus, Syria. It's pretty hot and miserable that time of year but at night, the air is crisp and you can't get enough of it. Everyone stays up late and dinners usually start at 9 or 10 pm. There was a restaurant we would go to on the outskirts of the city on the Barada River that always stuck with me because the experience was so different than any other restaurant. You are transplanted from a dry, hot, congested neighborhood to an oasis with a babbling stream of freezing cold water that comes from mountains overlooking the city. It was a simple restaurant with a traditional menu, plastic chairs, hookahs, and large tables to accommodate the families that would come from all over Damascus.  

If you could give a piece of advice to someone who wanted to pursue your career, what would it be?

 You might get a few opportunities in your life that will define you. Seize them and figure the rest out as you go along. 

What's your favorite dish/drink on the menu?

I love the Cheap Dates!

What is your favorite place to go out to eat and what are you ordering?

St. Julivert Fisherie in Cobble Hill is a favorite. Everything on the menu is phenomenal, but we always order the hushpuppies.

What shoes are you rocking during service?

Pumas.

Is there anything new and exciting coming up for you?

We just opened Huda! Juggling that with my other restaurant and my family is all the excitement I can handle right now.