Anita's Kitchen Online home of the finest Lebanese Cuisine

Anita's Kitchen has been a familiar name since Anita Farah opened the first one in 1981 and established her reputation as a top-notch Lebanese cook.

Now there's a new outpost, subtitled Lebanese Cafe & Marketplace, and it has a fresh look and feel that gives it something extra.

The airy, contemporary space with uncovered windows that look out on Woodward Avenue just south of Nine Mile is contemporary in every respect, from the black ceiling with exposed ductwork to the concrete-topped bar, lively American background music (no wailing flutes here) and friendly staff in black T-shirts inscribed with catchphrases like "Got Hummus?"

Note the subtle motif of olive branches etched on the windows, the kite-like swoops of fabric that fill in the high-ceiling space, the carefully chosen wines and boutique beers that accompany the food, and you can see that this is something more than just another spot for falafel and grape leaves.

Anita and Pierre Farah's daughter, Jennifer, and her husband, Joe Wegrzyn, moved back from Chicago to help establish the new spot, and they bring fresh enthusiasm to the project.

The place seats 70 indoors, and as soon as weather permits, the shaded patio on the side of the building will open to accommodate another 50.

While it's a completely casual setting, with bare-topped tables and paper napkins, its attributes include some of the best Lebanese fare around.

Everything I've sampled in two visits has been top-notch, from the little servings of fresh tabbouleh and hummus that garnish almost every plate -- and of course, may be ordered in larger portions on their own -- to the tender shish kafta, made with a blend of subtly seasoned ground lamb and beef, and the shish tawook (charbroiled chicken breast).

In addition to the expected lemon lentil soup, the menu offers at least two others each day, perhaps tomato Florentine, black bean or chicken orzo, and the list of 10 salads includes, in addition to various mixtures of fresh greens with cucumbers, tomatoes, olives and green pepper, a notable one combining chickpeas, cracked wheat, fresh mint and parsley with lemon-garlic and olive oil dressing that Jennifer Wegrzyn came up with.

Anita's Kitchen opened on Jan. 2 and immediately got a warm welcome from the neighborhood. This is going to be a very popular spot for all the right reasons.

You can reach Molly Abraham at (313) 222-1475 or abraham67@comcast.net.