Room for more

With one visit, George Ouyoumjan was ready to pull up roots in Hot Springs and move to Fayetteville. So he did, bringing with him Emelia's Kitchen, to the delight of Mediterranean-style food fans throughout Northwest Arkansas.

Since moving to Dickson Street, Emeila's has become grandly popular.

The Fayetteville location, with two dining rooms and a private boardroom, has a large storefront window overlooking Dickson Street. The boardroom can accommodate about 18 and parties up to 50 can expand into the adjacent side dining room. The entire restaurant can also be reserved and is a popular choice for wedding receptions.

The name of the restaurant is in honor of Ouyoumjan's mother, Emelia, and he uses her recipes to share traditional Armenian cuisine from their homeland of Syria.

Emelia's is casual restaurant with fine cuisine and a hometown, family ambiance. The style of food is influenced by the Mediterranean region and relies on quality and freshness of fresh herbs, as opposed to heavily seasoned or spiced dishes.

Even though Emelia's could be considered a fusion restaurant, Mediterranean cuisine remains close to the heart of the chef.

Dressings and seasoning blends are created in-house, with popular ingredients being parsley, tarragon, cumin, garlic, coriander and Aleppo, which are dried red pepper flakes that resemble a spicy variety of paprika.

The restaurant uses as many local and natural ingredients as possible, but to assure the best taste and greatest authenticity, Emelia's Kitchen imports specialty items such as olive oil, tahini, olives, dried mint and grape leaves.

Emelia's Kitchen began with a small menu featuring kebabs -- skewers of meat grilled over an open flame. Unlike the Americanized version that mixes meat and vegetables, Emelia's kebabs are either one or the other. They are seasoned and prepared using a centuries-old method and include lamb, shrimp, steak, chicken, ground sirloin or vegetable.

Other popular Armenian offerings include gyros, falafel, a lamb meatball sub sandwich, grilled fish entrees and house-made desserts. There is also a wide selection of fresh salads and hearty appetizers, such as a portabella mushroom cap stuffed with marinated shrimp, spinach, sauteed bell peppers, tomatoes and mozzarella cheese.

Brunch is available 9 a.m.-2 p.m. Friday, Saturday and Sunday. Eggs Benedict is served traditionally with hand-sliced, grilled ham, or with grilled portabellas, sauteed Atlantic salmon, lump blue crab meat, roasted pork loin or with Sterling Silver sirloin, mushrooms and onions.

The Florentine-style Benedict has organic spinach, feta and roasted red peppers.

The Tour de France Benedict has Brie cheese, freshly pressed garlic and spinach on a baguette.

Each version is served with pan-fried potatoes, tabouleh and fresh fruit.

Other offerings include a variety of house-made omelets with cage-free eggs, apple-walnut French toast, a Belgian waffle topped with fresh fruit and whipped cream and pancakes with fruit, black walnuts or chocolate chips.

Dinner items feature Sterling Silver, grain-fed beef served with a brandy cream sauce and mushrooms. There is also a roasted pork loin, chicken Piccata and Mediterranean chicken.

Fish selections include ahi tuna with a lemon caper butter sauce, citrus marinated Atlantic salmon in beurre blanc, sauteed tilapia and grilled swordfish.

Blackened Baramundi and stuffed trout are offered seasonally.

Many dishes are naturally gluten-free, even the crab cakes.

Pasta dishes include chicken or shrimp alfredo, Mediterranean pasta, pesto linguini or the house specialty with house-made marinara, bell peppers, onions, tomatoes, olives and a choice of spicy Andouille sausage or house-made lamb meatballs.

Emelia's hosts a Date Night with a select choice menu that includes shared appetizer and dessert, with each guest receiving a house salad and entree. For $55 per couple, a bottle of wine is also included.

Monthly wine dinners are also featured, with limited seating and reservations required. On Wednesday, a four-course meal will be paired with four featured wines from small vineyards. Seating begins at 6:30 p.m., followed by dinner served promptly at 7 p.m. Tickets are $35 per person.

A tasting of Israeli wines is scheduled for April 15.

Catering and private room reservations are available. More information is available online at facebook.com/emeliasmk or by calling (479) 527-9800.