The History Of Fattoush

Fattoush Restaurant, named after the signature salad of Lebanon, was founded in 2002 by the husband-and-wife chef team of Sam and Lina Elakhaoui. Together they brought the delicious and healthy foods of Lebanon to Chicago's Lincoln Park neighborhood.

A few years after opening the restaurant, Lina's health began to quickly decline. After several months and numerous specialists, Lina discovered that all her health problems were the result of celiac disease, a severe allergy to gluten. Lina is so sensitive to gluten, she cannot safely work with gluten-based flour without going into anaphylactic shock. After realizing that many of the foods they cooked were naturally gluten-free, Sam and Lina decided to embrace a healthy, gluten-free lifestyle and menu.

Sadly, on October 9th, 2010, Sam, who was only 52, passed away suddenly. Sam and Lina's close friends, who have volunteered at the restaurant since its opening, stepped up to run the restaurant in the ongoing effort to support Lina and her two daughters, and to keep Sam's dream alive.

We have been very fortunate to find a new young chef who is not only talented, but also specializes in cooking for food allergies and special dietary needs.Chef Sophia Harris has accepted the challenge of running the kitchen and recreating Sam and Lina's recipes with a gourmet twist. As a result, we are now offering a menu of "Lebanese inspired cuisine." We hope you will come by and join us in our culinary journey to Lebanon.

The Philosophy

Sam and Lina, who were both born and grew up in Lebanon, had their own recipes, and, of course, insisted that their recipes were the right way of making each dish. After Sam passed away, we were given these recipes, as well as intense instruction by both Lina and her sister Nada, also a chef.

With their blessing, we have taken the original recipes, and as any good chef would, made them our own, while still keeping the essence of the dishes alive and vibrant.

Gluten-Free At Fattoush

We proudly offer an almost completely gluten-free menu. Currently, there are only two items we serve that contain gluten: pita and baklava. Fortunately for any gluten-intolerant patrons, we have gluten-free pita made for us by Rose’s Wheat-Free Bakery, and our gluten-free interpretation of maamoul, a traditional dessert.

When ordering, please feel free to inform us of any gluten or other food-based allergies you may have, and we will accommodate you to the fullest of our ability.