June 25, 2025 • 47 mins
Samir Abughannam opened Sam’s Mediterranean Cuisine in September 1995 with his devoted family in the university town of Davis, CA where students & families flock for the taste of authentic Mediterranean dishes: lamb/chicken shawarmas, kabobs, falafels, dolma, traditional salads & desserts. The aesthetic decor is adorned with art. After earning a Biology degree, Samir’s passion for cooking led to a family restaurant life, high quality food from the heart, deep friendships and beloved community.
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It's Your Voice is broadcast live Wednesdays at 8PM ET Music on W4CY Radio (www.w4cy.com) part of Talk 4 Radio (www.talk4radio.com) on the Talk 4 Media Network (www.talk4media.com). It's Your Voice is viewed on Talk 4 TV (www.talk4tv.com).
It's Your Voice Podcast is also available on Talk 4 Media (www.talk4media.com), Talk 4 Podcasting (www.talk4podcasting.com), iHeartRadio, Amazon Music, Pandora, Spotify, Audible, and over 100 other podcast outlets.
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
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We make no recommendations or endorsements for radio show programs, services,
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(00:20):
for choosing W four c Y Radio.
Speaker 2 (00:26):
Logic, Let's speech logic, Let's beach you.
Speaker 1 (00:35):
In logic, Let's frich in lot, Let's breach all the.
Speaker 2 (00:45):
Logic. Let's brich logic.
Speaker 3 (00:49):
Let's lot. Hello and welcome to It's your Voice, this
show that hosts en richie conversations in diversity. My name
is Bihia Yaxon. I'm a diversity educator and I'm delighted
to share the platform with people from all kinds of
(01:09):
backgrounds and talents and skills. I will just mention I
have a website if you're interested in looking at any
courses I offer to teach various ways of diversity and
cultivating patterns of collusion, inclusion, and belonging. You can go
to my website which is Know what you Want Coaching
dot WordPress dot com. I also want to mention I
(01:31):
am quite under the weather. So I have a wonderful
guest host today. So I'm going to start with introducing
the guest host, and then I get to guest introduce
our very special guest who we've been waiting for for
a long time, a dear friend of the family. So
let's get started and then they will take over. So
(01:52):
my guest host is Emily Hadley Yachxan Maciel. She just
graduated from the University of Washington with a Bachelor of
Landscape Architecture. She's currently working for the Seattle Department of
Transportation on a native forest restoration collaboration with the muckle
Chute tribe. She also just won two awards in architecture
(02:14):
from the Architecture Foundation twenty twenty five Olmsted Scholar and
the twenty twenty five ASLA Student Honor Award. Congratulations Hadly,
amazing interesting, we have a similar last name. Have I
seen you before we met? I'm honored that you are
my niece and super impressed by your super talent and
(02:39):
thank you for stepping in today. I know Sam is
a dear friend to you and your family as well.
So our special guest today is Sam Ganem, who opened
Sam's Dediterranean Cuisine in California and September nineteen ninety five
with his family and a small university town here where
(03:00):
students flock and there are lines, the tables are filled,
the food is incredible, good year round. Families are there
to get a taste of authentic Middle Eastern dishes delicious. Uh,
we're gonna you're gonna hear about the food for one thing,
and also his uh secret ingredient and customer service. He
makes you feel so at home. He makes everyone talk
(03:24):
about creating an atmosphere belonging. Everyone's included and belongs. So
Sam has a bachelor's uh or perhaps a higher degree
and by biology. I'm not sure where that music is
coming from. Oh it's probably from Okay. Anyway, I just
want to mention he has a bachelors in biography, but
he chose to do like one of the hardest jobs
(03:45):
in the world, which is running a restaurant. So welcome, Sam,
I know you're so loved by the community. Thank you
for being here, and one of your wonderful daughters is
thank you for being here?
Speaker 4 (03:58):
Realm uh. How are you guys both doing fine?
Speaker 3 (04:04):
Good?
Speaker 4 (04:04):
How are y'all happy to connect me too?
Speaker 3 (04:07):
I'm gonna I'm gonna excuse myself so you guys can
talk since your will, and I'll come back on a.
Speaker 4 (04:14):
Thank you hi y'all.
Speaker 5 (04:16):
So, I guess thanks, thanks for being here, and it's
good to see y'all after so so long. I guess
just to start off, how what was your journey to
get to the US and and to California and Davis
in particular, sam Uh.
Speaker 2 (04:35):
As a matter of fact, I came here as a student,
and I went in Maryland Charles County Community College, and
I moved to North Carolina.
Speaker 4 (04:45):
And I went to Shire University.
Speaker 2 (04:48):
But I worked in Virginia as a bass void and
a dishwasher and become a head shift.
Speaker 4 (04:55):
You know.
Speaker 2 (04:55):
I was an assistant and I became a head shift,
very very.
Speaker 4 (05:02):
Huge restaurant in d C. And it's called Lastrada.
Speaker 2 (05:06):
Most of their customers were from the Defense Department, congressman, senators,
you know, and a lot Mamma Asia as a famous
the Eastern restaurant.
Speaker 4 (05:17):
They from my back, my hometown. The friends.
Speaker 2 (05:20):
We still talk as a matterpa on very basis. I
think five or four or five presidents eight at that residant,
the Clinton, yeahs Clinton, I think Reagan, uh, four of
them as a so far.
Speaker 5 (05:37):
That's amazing.
Speaker 2 (05:38):
Yeah, if you could look at Mamma Asia, you could
see the pictures.
Speaker 5 (05:44):
That's incredible. I also worked in a in a restaurant
in d C. As well.
Speaker 2 (05:50):
I don't Yeah, my cousins George and George down school
restaurant Georgetown.
Speaker 4 (05:58):
Your what was it called. It's called Diner's.
Speaker 5 (06:04):
Yeah.
Speaker 4 (06:05):
So we used to go back and forth, you know,
me and him.
Speaker 2 (06:07):
You know, I was an Italian American and he works
at the Diner's restaurant.
Speaker 4 (06:12):
You know, it's a steak house. It's a mistake house.
Speaker 2 (06:14):
I don't know if they this up now, but the
when I worked at this was very, very famous. It
has language on each side. I offended in the middle.
Speaker 4 (06:23):
Oh my god, question, that's huge Italian Greek.
Speaker 5 (06:27):
Wow? And that did that kind of kick off your
love for the restaurant business.
Speaker 4 (06:33):
And exactly yea. Then I moved to California.
Speaker 2 (06:37):
He went to Shabot College in here for two years,
got my my A degree and then I transferred to
Hayward University now it's called this Bay and I got
my tears and biology.
Speaker 4 (06:51):
Then I signed up for u c SA. I was
trying to become a doctor. Oh my gosh, yeah wow.
Speaker 2 (06:59):
But somehow my friends talked to me into cooking.
Speaker 4 (07:03):
You know.
Speaker 5 (07:04):
They were like, it's too good, you can't stell.
Speaker 4 (07:07):
Yeah, exactly. And I had a dream one time.
Speaker 2 (07:10):
The dream became a tru that would open a small
business next to a university.
Speaker 5 (07:15):
Yeah.
Speaker 4 (07:16):
I came to Davis somehow stopped at the Nugget.
Speaker 2 (07:19):
You know, the nugget on me and there was a
rag newspapers. I took the newspaper and say, oh my god,
that's the place. I can't do it. It was a
badgy on third Streets. Then I put my eyes on
that place because he has issues with the owner. I
took over and that's where I started my business.
Speaker 4 (07:38):
It was Kababs. But I had issues with the city.
Speaker 2 (07:41):
They wouldn't give you no no nuance times, you know,
and it's very strict on that part of Pucy Davis,
that streets and times. It took me a while to
get the sign. Then from there it was At the beginning,
it was tough, very tough, you know, because I didn't
have no sign, I didn't have no advertisement.
Speaker 5 (08:02):
That was.
Speaker 2 (08:04):
Fstaking, you know. Yeah, all of a sudden two three years,
you know, I get my abutation. I had the steady
customers and from on, you know, students, I've been here
for twenty five years, and my students from day one,
(08:25):
they've come back and see me with the day CEOs, doctors, lawyers, engineers,
they always when they come to Davis, they come is
sent Yeah.
Speaker 5 (08:33):
No, yeah, you've You're a beloved staple. And that's kind
of like something that's amazing, especially in Davis because Davis
there's so much restaurant turnover constantly, and you've been able
to stay open. And I'm I'm wondering, like some of
the other obstacles that you faced aside that from that
(08:54):
first like not having a sign and not being established
because you have other.
Speaker 2 (09:01):
At the beginning, I started as a Greek you don't
talking about it again. Yeah, I was taking at two
o'clock in the morning, you know, chubbing, you know, vegetables
and all that, because it's hard to make chicken cagatory
pier scallopini egg Brand, Parmegiana, Vecilia and Fredomazania. It was
(09:22):
tough and you have so many dishes, so I tried
to adjust. So I said, oh maybe the first year
I started doing that, and all of a sudden I
moved to kebabs and the kabab because the students are
on the budget, prices keeps going up, so I have
to cut down. And then moved the landuishes and you
know rice and all that, you know, showerm mover rice
(09:43):
and moving really good. They love it, you know, shawarm,
pita over salad, a love you know, holmost all of that.
But but when I started the kbab witness, my prices
were three ninety five two skew.
Speaker 4 (10:00):
It helps me. I mean, I had a line, but
I wasn't making money.
Speaker 2 (10:04):
Oh my god, so much money to try to pay
the reputation for businesses, Yeah, I be exactly, but I
did at times, I said, at one o'clock in the morning,
but at the end of the day, my godness, there's
no money.
Speaker 5 (10:20):
It was hard.
Speaker 2 (10:22):
Yeah, I lost. I had to take anna from my
house to pay for my loss. But generally it was hard.
Of course, then the mouth set me up, you know,
another to another.
Speaker 4 (10:37):
You know.
Speaker 2 (10:37):
So that's how it works, you know, from these to
you know, students to members, from Davis to me like
you guys, you know, yeah, it's all love.
Speaker 4 (10:52):
You know. Tabs food is made out of love. You
have a love for cooking.
Speaker 2 (10:56):
Let's say it's going to be tasting good and once
you and presentation.
Speaker 4 (11:01):
You know, the main thing in.
Speaker 2 (11:04):
Running a good business, successful business is being part of
the community. Yeah, this has a great community, you know. Yeah,
you have to build that relationship. Engage with the community,
Engage with the students, Listen to their mus They tell
you so much personal stuff. You build that one and
(11:25):
you try to appoint yourself with them, and you become
one of them. You know, at the end after.
Speaker 4 (11:29):
Four years, you know, you know all their life.
Speaker 2 (11:32):
You know everything about that student or that person because
you keep communicating with them. And part of that is
being humble and passionate and compassionate. You know, you give
time to the customers even though you're running in the kitchen.
But at the same time you have to listen being humble.
When students you graduate from here, they come and ask
me for an advice. I say, you know, the best
(11:53):
advice I can give you is stay humble the way
you are. That time and suit is not going to
make you a better person, and that I heal and
make up and look sure, there's not going to make
you a better person than other person.
Speaker 4 (12:04):
You know, to stay.
Speaker 2 (12:05):
Who you are because hotly speaking, look at the ass
and Manhade, he was my cass. If comes to California,
that's es first stop here. Oh my gosh, they have
doctors as whether they come when the first thing they
come from the airport, it takes me say, I am
on my way and from to visit you, you know,
(12:26):
from the bare from all over. Yeah, that's what I
take you said. It's communicating with that, you know.
Speaker 4 (12:32):
Yeah.
Speaker 5 (12:33):
And food is such a great It's like one of
those cultural like they bring it brings people together. Cook
it whether you're cooking with people or cooking for people.
It's one of those things that like immediately links you,
especially if you share the same food too.
Speaker 2 (12:51):
You know, it's like you can present the food right
you go there. It looks so beautiful, taste so and
at the same time, my main goal always is I
don't cut corners. You know, talking about I don't cut
corners has to be the same for better. Yeah, fortune,
(13:12):
because you're don't expect that customers to come and eat
and when they finish, oh my god, I'm not I'm
still hungry. So you're getting make sure that person who
comes to you, that customer is fed well. And when
they go out and say, oh my god, I got
to come back, and that's what they do, customers, they
come back twice. And so I swear to that customers
twice because they said love your.
Speaker 5 (13:33):
Yeah, it's so good and people love you. I'm curious
what your first like do you remember like a first
memory of food and cooking, like one of your very
first experiences with cooking.
Speaker 4 (13:50):
It's so much, there's so much into it is. You know.
My first one was.
Speaker 2 (13:55):
My plowbacks, you know, you know what, and it's an
upside done.
Speaker 4 (14:01):
It's made out.
Speaker 2 (14:02):
Of chicken or beef or lamb with matter eyes and
then you have to have eggs, bland carriage and the cauliflower,
you know, you know, the common rose. We had to
come in high heat and then you know, slow lettressed.
Speaker 4 (14:20):
A lipit and you could do it.
Speaker 2 (14:22):
Watch Instagram and TikTok and Facebook you will see how
I do it.
Speaker 5 (14:28):
Yeah, no, I've seen it done I've seen it done
my one of my professors, she made macro for US
cheers from Iraq, so it must have may have been
a slightly different recipe. I don't know how do you
know how, because you're obviously like there's a different like
slight always slight variations between like Lebanese food to Palestinian
(14:51):
food to two Syrian food food. It's like subtle, but
they're there.
Speaker 6 (15:00):
They're all different, all different, believe me, even even back home,
a very different some day at potatoes, something at Garbanzo bees,
you know, something at like my kids.
Speaker 4 (15:12):
They're like tomatoes on top of it, so it stays
moist looking upside upside down is one of my favorites.
Prosiety greatly, Oh yes, I love great The lamb chops
in the million is it's the best?
Speaker 5 (15:30):
Who taught? Who taught you how to cook?
Speaker 4 (15:32):
You know? I am a great learner.
Speaker 2 (15:35):
I was in DC then I used to watch my mother,
you know, yeah books, you know I didn't from her
step by then my sister, My sister is a great cook.
Speaker 4 (15:45):
She's in Georgia, you know.
Speaker 2 (15:47):
And from there I made my reputation as a good
cook for middles you know, the best from the best
from the root.
Speaker 4 (15:58):
Yeah, my mother and my sister.
Speaker 3 (16:01):
Yeah.
Speaker 4 (16:02):
But at the same time, you know my experience in DC.
You know, I was the head chef.
Speaker 5 (16:06):
Yeah, and that's environment to learn.
Speaker 2 (16:10):
Exactly, and high ranking officials, you know at that place,
Plus that Mama Iyesa and Washington, d C.
Speaker 4 (16:16):
Is a famous restaurant.
Speaker 5 (16:17):
Yeah, it's really high hand too.
Speaker 4 (16:21):
Yeah, so it's up to date.
Speaker 2 (16:23):
Then my neighbors back home, he's asking me if I
can't go and work for him.
Speaker 5 (16:29):
For him again, you couldn't ever leave, Davis. We wouldn't
let you.
Speaker 2 (16:37):
About a month ago I started to message. He showed
me the whole restaurant. Inside he makes the grave leaves
by himself, and the zucchini and and.
Speaker 4 (16:47):
All the spices he used for each one.
Speaker 2 (16:49):
You know, whenever he took a dish for himself, he
send me chicken kabab and a barb on the charcoal.
You know, he works with his kids. It's a beautiful,
beautiful would very delicious.
Speaker 5 (17:02):
Yeah. Yeah, and your family.
Speaker 4 (17:04):
Is different than the restaurants here.
Speaker 2 (17:07):
You know, I am working for students because they own
a budget.
Speaker 4 (17:10):
You know, I cannot have much.
Speaker 2 (17:12):
I cannot have you know, other dishes because you know,
it's hard, very harm you know.
Speaker 5 (17:18):
Do you ever do those more specialty dishes in other
contexts or just for your family? What?
Speaker 2 (17:25):
I just for my family, sometimes for guests, you know,
sometimes for school sometimes, you know, when they ask me.
I know I used to do it at the beginning,
but I can it done because it's too much work.
Speaker 4 (17:36):
Yeah, I don't want to be part of.
Speaker 2 (17:38):
The university because you have to have eye insurance and
you have to deliver, you know, so they order and
they pick. Yeah, I have faculty members that from there.
One every time they open school, they asked me to
make food for them, especially biology department, you know, ecology.
Speaker 4 (17:55):
And all that. And almost twenty five years you know why,
you know.
Speaker 2 (18:02):
Uh, Chancellor, I came here, his wife comes here all
the time.
Speaker 4 (18:07):
Me his wife, she comes all the time.
Speaker 2 (18:09):
He has your customer and Mary, she's uh provost, you know, yeah,
you know, assistant chancellor.
Speaker 4 (18:18):
You know.
Speaker 5 (18:19):
Oh my gosh, yeah, everybody there's not Instagram.
Speaker 2 (18:24):
She said that, but then she gave me up. Ken
Bertest was asking you have you watched him on Facebook?
He's dancing all the time. I watch him on Instagram.
Speaker 5 (18:33):
Oh my god, Oh do you know do you know
what your customer's favorite food is that you sir.
Speaker 2 (18:43):
With all honesty, I have a customer who stuck with
Chicken Show all the time. I have a customer who's
over rice all the time. If you go on, you
go on yel it kills you. Some customers, Oh my god,
I can't When you go to sleep, I dream about that.
Speaker 4 (18:59):
Day, you know, try so they said, I can't wait
to wake up in the morning.
Speaker 2 (19:02):
Come some some even they say, oh my god, I
was dreaming that I'm going to go.
Speaker 4 (19:07):
To Samson and the next day was Sunday.
Speaker 5 (19:09):
You know.
Speaker 2 (19:12):
So you know, everybody's different. Yeah, your fingers are different.
Some people they like flapped vegetarians. Some people something like
flapplead something.
Speaker 4 (19:24):
They want all the time. Mm hmmm.
Speaker 5 (19:27):
Did you kind of did you develop your menu just
trying to like be budget friendly or was it also
because you really love the foods that you serve too,
Like you have that distinct like salad that you always serve,
and the like yogurt sauce and and all of That's
like obviously that's that's those are common delicious foods.
Speaker 4 (19:48):
But you know, you know, because if you add on
the sandwich, because.
Speaker 2 (19:57):
You can spread on the top of the and meat,
you know, it gives it safer. Sorry with the zat
sauce then and homos sometimes people they like homost you know,
and there's more homos, so I don't know what more,
So you have.
Speaker 4 (20:13):
To be flexible.
Speaker 2 (20:14):
Yeah, customers, you know, and people they like it spicy,
extra spicy. I have a customer says extra spicy.
Speaker 5 (20:23):
Wow, I don't think I've ever had it spicy. What's
the common like pepper that's used in and.
Speaker 2 (20:31):
Three kinds of peppers, you know, and chili pepper, you know.
Then you have tomatoes and vinegar. God, like, you know
it takes it takes time to make it. It takes time. Wow,
absolutely remember remember keep in mind practice makes perfect.
Speaker 5 (20:49):
Yes, it's true, it's hard.
Speaker 2 (20:53):
I always tell my customers it's not nice to be important,
It's more important to be nice.
Speaker 5 (20:59):
I love you, Yeah, I feel like you even should.
I feel like had such a good connection because you
all you both have so much wisdom and you're always
like you always have like the best advice to people,
and I feel like I'm curious, like is that part
of how you've made so many close friends in Davis? Like,
(21:23):
how did you go about that.
Speaker 4 (21:25):
You know, let me tell you the truth.
Speaker 2 (21:27):
When I started my business, I had so much communication
with the students. They became so close to me that
some of them used to come to my house and
they don't want to leave, swear to go. Some of
them they see that the house because my wife's so
nice to them. She makes She gave him all the
left over. They asked for it, and when can we
(21:50):
come back?
Speaker 4 (21:50):
They used to have.
Speaker 2 (21:51):
I used to have parties every Sunday and Monday night.
And my watch, she books for thirty forty people. You know,
Oh my gosh, before we go dancing, and you know,
in the house you put the music and then till
two three o'clock in the morning. But they have to
leave the house at seven, they said, at three four
o'clock in the morning.
Speaker 4 (22:08):
Then Mondays and Sundays, I have visions. I can show
you am I wish we had.
Speaker 2 (22:17):
And they come to me the next day, one you
gonna have us again? When are you gonna have us?
Speaker 4 (22:21):
But again?
Speaker 2 (22:22):
So you then at the same time, let me tell
you what the students at that time, they didn't have
money sometimes, so I gave him a slag, you know, say, oh,
don't worry and sayways, oh, just go and they come
back they want to pay me.
Speaker 4 (22:37):
I say, don't worry about it, it's okay, it's okay.
It's from the heart.
Speaker 2 (22:41):
So that human dignity and human connection with those people,
keep that together.
Speaker 4 (22:49):
You know, that bond.
Speaker 2 (22:50):
You know, it kept me going on for so many
years with those people. They never forget about me, They
never forget about that love. I get them that respect,
you know I'm talking about. I recognize the pain and
the sorrow. You know, then I keep trying.
Speaker 4 (23:07):
You know, he will never see sorrow, will never see Joe.
You know.
Speaker 2 (23:10):
It's okay. You're struggling now, but that's what success. You know,
life is a learning experience every day.
Speaker 4 (23:19):
So you have some people.
Speaker 2 (23:20):
They come crying for me, okay, yeah, Pennies, I swear
to God that And I said, oh.
Speaker 4 (23:25):
My god, it's okay. My doughter comes. I said, what
you should? I say, just tell them book take it.
Speaker 2 (23:29):
It's okay because it's my friend, so you know, and
they give you three dollars. I say, no, it's okay,
don't worry about you know, that love connection and that
feeling for others and for humanity kept me going, and
that's what keeps me.
Speaker 4 (23:46):
Going up to date. You know, I'm a simple person.
I'm simple, you know, and I keep Yeah, I keep
that simplicity. You know.
Speaker 2 (23:57):
I spend time with them. I don't care how are
you are on how low you are. I threat everybody
would respect, you know, I don't see, Oh, Emily is
better person. I want to take time with her, spend
more time with the I threak everybody with respect, genuinely,
you know, from the heart. You know, not I because
I want to use that person who they used me, but.
Speaker 4 (24:18):
Out of respect and out of love.
Speaker 5 (24:20):
Yeah, I just wanted to point out they brought up
I don't know who's bringing up these pictures, but there's.
Speaker 4 (24:27):
A picture with has Yes, Yeah, I saw it.
Speaker 5 (24:32):
Yeah, and that's yeah. He's been there, he's been one.
Speaker 4 (24:37):
Of your Yeah, he's I have maybe for a long time. Yeah.
Speaker 2 (24:42):
Every time he comes here, he takes pictures with me.
We have videos. But he posted me on his page.
He gets I know how many thousands on his Instagram.
He posted me when he came here one time and
he said he told everybody to come to sand You know,
(25:02):
that's good.
Speaker 5 (25:03):
He should everyone should go to sands. Oh yeah, there
it is again.
Speaker 2 (25:08):
My he has a wonderful family. His wife is so nice.
He invited me to go to New York. He always
you better come to me with me. Sam becoming visiness
in New York. Oh, very nice people, very humby.
Speaker 5 (25:20):
I'm curious. Well, actually there's a question from my dad.
He's curious about how you managed to run a family business,
because that can be that can be really challenging.
Speaker 2 (25:33):
You know, honestly speaking, these is very tough. Yeah, price
is hiaracketing after COVID. But a box of meat at
that time for fifty nine dollars up to six life.
Now it's hand at forty twenty pounds, twenty foud twenty
pounds at that time for fifty nine. Now it's handed
in forty a twenty six. It was one or nine
(25:56):
and twenty six and one for prices by racketing. Still
much used to get to yoga for forty five for
the twenty seven bucks you know again, and now it's
seventy fives a summer three, you open street for eighteen,
now it's forty five.
Speaker 4 (26:14):
It's crazy. Look at the oil prices.
Speaker 2 (26:16):
So anytime ail prices go up, prices go up, you
know I'm talking about and after go with, everything went
down and it's nice twenty for everybody. I mean sometimes
when I see you go to the grocery store and
I see the advice of my god, it's tough to
be honest on a fixed income. It's very tough. I
(26:36):
don't know how people can manage being on a fixed
income because it's hard or hard disease. You know, you
go to the grocery store, you buy a few things,
it's two hundred three hundred bucks, you know, and when
you see what did I buy, it's like nothing.
Speaker 5 (26:51):
Yeah, does it help? Does it help that you have
your family?
Speaker 2 (26:56):
Like course, my wife she used to be it was
my back one. She used to help me in a
book and all of that.
Speaker 4 (27:04):
And that was a huge loss, huge loss. Uh, that's
why I took two years off. But at the same time,
you know you're gonna say, O, man, I need to
go back.
Speaker 2 (27:14):
I need to back and beat those customers who stood
by me and the community honesty in general, students, faculty members,
everybody in including you guys. Everybody stood with me and
piled me up, you know, make me send on my
feet again. I had a rough time with the owner,
previous owner. He sold the building and I had to
(27:37):
hire a lawyer. It was very tough. And then my
wife's loss was tough. With doctors who falsify information. You
give me, you know, I'm talking misinformation. I give you
miss it says, very tough. You need the team every day,
every day. It doesn't go away. If someone you have
(27:58):
to move on. She's a but it's still there because
when you get the wrong information, they'll tell you one
thing and they write something against all of a sudden,
they tell you all three days. It's hard they tell
and all of a sudden, Oh, you have three days
to do.
Speaker 4 (28:14):
That's the toughest. It will never go away from your head,
you know, you know, but it's hard, hard, hard, hard.
Speaker 2 (28:22):
It's hard to be yeah, with the lost, especially when
you when you lived it, especially when based on a
hundred percent guarantee and all of a sudden, less than
twenty four hours from Oh and then will you find
out they knew one month earlier when I was telling
him all the way through that month, something is wrong.
Speaker 4 (28:41):
So it's there.
Speaker 5 (28:44):
Yeah, what did she what was her look involvement in
the in the restaurant?
Speaker 4 (28:50):
Oh there she is the fastest, really one of the fastest.
You get it. But if I say leaves.
Speaker 2 (29:00):
Winning the Great Deeps today, you know, you turn around,
you go to the store, compare it's done.
Speaker 4 (29:06):
Oh my gosh, how did you do it?
Speaker 5 (29:08):
That's incredible when she likes super fast at chopping and
everything everything.
Speaker 4 (29:14):
I mean, she can to book more than.
Speaker 2 (29:16):
One meal, even my guests when I have on Thanksgiving
or around the Christmas or when I have a birthday party.
One time she made a birthday party for me and
I didn't even I didn't know. I go to the
house thinking, you know, normally what Saturday, and I parked
my car with my kids, came down.
Speaker 4 (29:36):
No cars.
Speaker 2 (29:36):
I don't see any cars, you know, in the buttla.
And she surprised me, invited over forty five to fifty
people over families, balloons and cake and music, and she
made the plan that she told everybody to park because
away away from the house.
Speaker 4 (29:56):
I had surprise I ever had from her, which is.
Speaker 5 (30:01):
Sweet.
Speaker 4 (30:02):
It was, It's amazing.
Speaker 5 (30:05):
He sounds so special, very special.
Speaker 4 (30:10):
This Oh, I'm not going to make it today.
Speaker 2 (30:12):
I'm tired, you know, but when I go home, it's
today surprise, you know, it's my my, Oh my god,
it's not done.
Speaker 4 (30:20):
Why should I eat before I go home? You know?
Oh my god? What is that? Your daughters?
Speaker 5 (30:30):
You have daughters that are also working in the kitchen
with you, right, yeah.
Speaker 4 (30:33):
They hit me. Oh no, no, Yeah, they're very good.
Yeah they.
Speaker 2 (30:37):
Do.
Speaker 5 (30:38):
Any of them possess this rapid cooking ability.
Speaker 2 (30:43):
Yes, they look pretty good, even the youngest, the one
who works behind the guys. She is honestly, she cooks
tacos and burritos.
Speaker 4 (30:56):
Oh my god.
Speaker 2 (30:56):
They all my kids and my guests when they try
her food, I don't know. She doesn't show me her spices.
Speaker 5 (31:05):
You. It's a secret from you.
Speaker 4 (31:10):
That has to be.
Speaker 2 (31:11):
But what I'm saying is the way she books it.
One day, make it and make it. I tell it,
to make you some food good. And believe that the
food she makes like tacos, she makes britos, and she
makes like I don't know if you know cala, you know,
beef steak with tomatoes and other fish, tomatoes, garlic, and
(31:36):
believe it very very delicious.
Speaker 4 (31:38):
So she she must have learned from the best mater,
not me. She's like you.
Speaker 5 (31:44):
She got jeans on both sides. She has the jeans
on both sides.
Speaker 4 (31:54):
I give that's are there.
Speaker 5 (31:58):
But I want to like give people an idea of
like other things that are on your menu aside from
just the falaf What other things do you offer?
Speaker 4 (32:10):
What luck to you?
Speaker 3 (32:11):
They?
Speaker 2 (32:11):
I surprise my customers sometimes make them paklava, deser and
make them coneta, you know, which is my favorite dessert
and the what bad? I don't know if you know
what bad? The triangle shape it's made with the cheese.
It's very delicious if you go on, if you see
(32:32):
it comes in triangle shape before you know, it's like
it becomes a square, you know.
Speaker 4 (32:37):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (32:39):
Other day they love it. You know, I still pride
the customers. They come in, they buy, then I go outside.
They give them paklava, you know the one I make,
you know, it's like especially I make it. Then I
give them a fancy Oh my god, my watch she
loves it. Sam, you have any more than examdy come here?
I make those dates? Don't your grandpa loves those days?
Speaker 4 (33:00):
You know? Dates? Mamond m very very delicious people. I
sent that the other day Maria.
Speaker 2 (33:07):
You know Mary Provost m hm that she asked me
about three weeks ago and she gave me out with
Ken and she said I loved those. When she was
invited to a place to have Arabic place, I think
from Egypt. Is what kind of does this? So there
is so that I made her some and I send
it with a new researcher.
Speaker 4 (33:27):
He came with Ken.
Speaker 2 (33:29):
Davis and he was going to see her just take
a give from Sam.
Speaker 1 (33:35):
Yuh?
Speaker 5 (33:36):
Yeah, is that your Do you think that's your special?
Teachers are with the Yeah.
Speaker 2 (33:40):
That's especially. That's only I make it special because it's
made up of cheese. You know, I don't like otherwise.
Speaker 4 (33:45):
You have to you have to freeze it, and what
bad you need to?
Speaker 5 (33:51):
And yeah, I'm curious. Out of all the amazing adventures
that you've been on in your life, what what are
you most proud of?
Speaker 4 (34:01):
Oh?
Speaker 2 (34:01):
My goodness, making that connection so many great people you
know with us from the community, students, professors, you know,
these wonderful people. You know, I don't know that kindness
that you get from those people. You know, whenever they
come back, if they don't see me in the kitchen,
they look for me and they come back in the
(34:25):
other room, you know, and like spend time with me
talking to me in the back room. You know, that's
a blast. You know, that's that's a gift from God.
That's a there's a bonus that you can get any
it's a human connection, you know, humanity. You know you
have to keep that human then keep that. It's like
(34:46):
recognize the humanity of others. Yeah, the amanity for others.
That's how I do it. You know, I think everybody
has me. It's like my family afar, my extended family.
Speaker 4 (35:00):
You know what I mean, like you bet, Yeah, I
know we've had command. You know, I used to come here,
she said, what do you have for me today? Hey?
Speaker 2 (35:13):
Sam, I'm going to see to the chests that today
what you have for me? I want to take it
for him. And then this is from Sam.
Speaker 5 (35:22):
Yeah, We've had so many, so many family events at
your face, and you've always made it so memorable for us,
Like my brother's twenty first birthday I think it was,
and you just brought out the most guys, beautiful fiefs,
like foods I hadn't had before either. They were and
they were so like there's obviously an extra special ingredient
(35:45):
in there.
Speaker 4 (35:46):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (35:46):
You know if you go on the Facebook horse or
tick and there's a lady. Her name is Karenlight. She
was the chief secretary for the medicine department at UC Davis.
Speaker 4 (36:00):
There is she returned her the husband as a doctor.
Speaker 2 (36:03):
She invited every time a dean has a birthday, or
a femin member have a birthday.
Speaker 4 (36:10):
Or researcher have a birthday.
Speaker 2 (36:11):
She has so much connections, so many people to go
on on on my.
Speaker 4 (36:16):
Facebook, you see her.
Speaker 2 (36:18):
I have videos on because at least two three times
a year she brings but she comes. He a regular customer,
but she every time she has a birthday, she texts me, Sam,
I'm bringing this ten twelve people, eight people, ten people,
and we have a birthday for them. So I had
to make a specially see that's what that's when I
go off my menu question for those people. I don't
(36:41):
do it for everybody because it's hard, but the meaning
I know that they should buy me all the time,
they stay by me. I think everybody with respect the
same everybody, but those people, when I commit myself, I
can't say no.
Speaker 4 (36:53):
It's hard for me to say no.
Speaker 5 (36:54):
I know you're been so sweet to us. I'm curious
what some of those like special extra dishes are that
you usually make there was I remember there was one
that had like.
Speaker 4 (37:06):
Stake with vegetables.
Speaker 2 (37:08):
Yeah, I made a steak with vegetables and chicken with vegetables.
Speaker 4 (37:11):
You know.
Speaker 2 (37:13):
I make a you know, grand beef with skills. You know,
I do sometimes, you know on skill wars, you know
outside the brink the barbecue here, and I do it
for some guests, you know sometimes when I have I
do mclube. I did it for as a matter of fact,
I did it for famous He is a famous doctor.
(37:34):
You know, he teaches residents and his day when he
teaches residents, you know, doctors.
Speaker 4 (37:41):
He's in charge of.
Speaker 2 (37:44):
For that idiatic, theatic the department that you see Davis.
Every time he has a company or a doctor from overseas,
I have to make his food, you know, food for them.
I made them MCLUBA went time for him and Stephen
Wooting Joantcy the film The Lawyer number one Northern California.
And when I met them, I think I have almost
(38:05):
eighteen thousand INSTIGAREMMS people went to show that one. Yeah, yeah,
that's incredible. And what he what he did. I'm just
going to give you an example.
Speaker 4 (38:16):
Poor guy.
Speaker 2 (38:16):
He had doctors on bite it over and he made mcluber.
Speaker 4 (38:22):
You know, he tried to make it. He made it
like a kick, but it's burned. It's burned.
Speaker 2 (38:27):
When you come here, I'm going to show you. So
he said it to me. Look what happened to my back,
glove back. It's like it's like a cake, but it's burned.
Speaker 5 (38:36):
Me.
Speaker 2 (38:37):
You know what I did that day? Well, he said,
he has Guess tonight I made the mcluber.
Speaker 4 (38:43):
Oh my, when I made it, I.
Speaker 2 (38:45):
Drove to Dixon. I said, doctor Vick, I am in Dixon.
Can you meet me from your house at the restaurant?
Speaker 4 (38:51):
Why he said, I made your mcluba because I think
that you know you have.
Speaker 5 (38:55):
You're saving you're saving lives even though you didn't go
into the coal fields.
Speaker 2 (39:02):
I swear to God I made him therefore because he
has and and he was so happy him and his wife,
Oh my goodness. You don't know how much joy I
put it in space and his wife to make him good.
Speaker 4 (39:16):
You know, say, oh my god, that be bad. It's
the ingredients. So it took me two hours.
Speaker 2 (39:25):
So between that time and the time we had I
guess I made it and a surprise, and I didn't
tell him even that's incredible.
Speaker 5 (39:33):
You know how you have those and and you've had
these beautiful murals in your other location. O, yes, those murals,
and your question, I.
Speaker 4 (39:44):
Said, that's a long story.
Speaker 2 (39:46):
Somebody came and wrote about it, even the newspaper and
at the museum down on what happened is I knew students, Okay,
we're going into art studying art at Davis University.
Speaker 4 (40:02):
Right a new few of them.
Speaker 2 (40:04):
And I mentioned that I need to draw some Mediterranean
design in the restaurant, especially the alaxa which you see
in my background here in the background.
Speaker 4 (40:15):
So he said, oh, I can't do it for you
and asked him how much. He said, oh, just not much.
Just feed me and is speaking.
Speaker 2 (40:26):
You know how many people ten ten students joined him
when he was drawing an assisted tell one two o'clock
in the morning playing music, and one from Japan, one
from Japan, three from Mexico City, and two and from
America from USCN, two from Brazil. And all of them
(40:46):
made that connection. Every day they come and draw, because
that one is a tough one. Each one took apart.
And when lady came from Brazil, her daughter was helping
me here at restaurant.
Speaker 4 (40:56):
She came from Brazil.
Speaker 2 (40:58):
She is a good artist, but she is a doctor
and she threw all the trees on the world, unfortunately
gone when I moved from that business.
Speaker 4 (41:05):
Yea, I know. But my son threw everything here. He
did by himself.
Speaker 5 (41:12):
He is so talented.
Speaker 2 (41:14):
Yeah, he did by himself. How I don't know. I
was working in the next building. Then he said I'm
going to go and do something. I come back and say,
oh my goodness, how did you do that? Wow, I'm
going to copy that one because that one is gone.
And the customer said told me, before you move, please
try to do the same because we used to.
Speaker 4 (41:35):
Put it a hoard in the world. You know.
Speaker 2 (41:38):
The other building was so small. Yeah, and I did
that when my son did it, he did a good job.
Speaker 5 (41:46):
He did. I was I was worried that it wouldn't
that it wouldn't have that same character once we knew
you were moving. But it's so beautiful now.
Speaker 2 (41:56):
And you even the first one who did the first
the one in the old building.
Speaker 4 (42:04):
Yeah, and another lady.
Speaker 2 (42:06):
They always communicated with me at that time if I
needed help.
Speaker 4 (42:10):
Honestly, they're so nice. They always say can we come in?
But my son said, oh, I want to finish it.
I want to do it. I want to learn. So
he did it. But he did. I mean they did
a great job. They did. Would you money? And guess
what friendship? Food? The don't want food, the house and
(42:33):
my wife she has a peace for they don't want
to leave.
Speaker 5 (42:37):
Well, thank you so much. Sam, I'm gonna bring the
here back on. But you have so much to be
proud of. And we're so grateful for your presence and
our community.
Speaker 2 (42:47):
I'm so proud to know you and meet you and
be part of my my extended family.
Speaker 7 (42:52):
I know you, you know, isn't my heart always in
every time he used to come, he says, what joke
do you have?
Speaker 4 (43:08):
But wish you will?
Speaker 3 (43:11):
Thank you you too, thank you damn, thank you so much.
And your your restaurant is like a home. People feel
so welcome and so loved and you represent people so
beautifully well and it's a genuine, authentic and uh and
you you go the extra mile for everybody the first Yeah,
(43:33):
it's just like I don't know.
Speaker 2 (43:36):
I always say it will be more, it will be
most effective. Like if you become your best sense, you
know what I mean, your best sense is that's that's when.
Speaker 4 (43:48):
You have that the human dignity for people.
Speaker 2 (43:52):
My advice to everybody, like you said in your communication,
you need and community engagement aware globally, you know, we
need to love with each other. We need to have peace,
you know, help each other, share the resources, you know,
spread that love, spread that connection. Don't be yourself only
(44:14):
try to help others. Keep that fund together. That's what's
going on these days. No social life before. We USh
to have a social life now with the technology. Technology
is great, but we abuse it. We abuse it, and
we don't keep that family together, you know, that family connection.
If you lose that family connection, then we lost you know,
(44:35):
family values is number one. You know I love with
each other as much as I love.
Speaker 3 (44:40):
You too, Model, and your entire family is so sweet,
every every family member when we when we step in,
there is so welcoming and it's so heartfelt.
Speaker 2 (44:52):
I'm gonna invite you one into my house, you guys
and make you a nice barbecue.
Speaker 3 (44:57):
M hm. We would invite you to our house, so
yeah for once you.
Speaker 4 (45:02):
Yeah, but my mind fast, you know, try my home cooking.
Speaker 3 (45:07):
Wow, and thank you again for your advice to the world.
I love either earlier you said to you tell people
stay humble and stay who you are number one.
Speaker 2 (45:15):
And I'm being passionate that die answer. It's not going
to make you a better person.
Speaker 4 (45:20):
Believe me.
Speaker 2 (45:22):
Money and when today in your hand, tomorrow in somebody's hand.
But that love, when it trust trust, That trust you
lose trust, you lose everything.
Speaker 4 (45:32):
Trust is number one.
Speaker 3 (45:33):
Your custom is profound.
Speaker 4 (45:36):
You lose that trust, it's all over. You know, it's
like your brother.
Speaker 2 (45:40):
They promise you to do something, or you didn't keep
that promise, or you did something that they say, oh
my god, that's it.
Speaker 4 (45:47):
The trust is gone.
Speaker 2 (45:48):
So you have to take that trust there. You know,
if I did you, I'm going to be there at four.
I have to be there at four or ither wise
have to come up with an excuse.
Speaker 3 (45:57):
But there you will be.
Speaker 4 (46:00):
Well.
Speaker 3 (46:00):
Thank you again so much, and thank Reim and your
whole family, and thank you Emily Hadley, Yax and May
Sale for co hosting or actually hosting the show. Thank
you to our engineer Rebel and to our producer being Keen,
and to all the listeners and viewers and the questions
that came in and we all have enriching conversations and
(46:21):
diversity this week and absorb Sam's incredible advice of love you,
We love you, god bye, we love you too.
Speaker 2 (46:35):
Let's beach logic, Let's beach show.
Speaker 1 (46:43):
In lot, let's speech in lot, Let's beach
Speaker 4 (46:52):
Lot, Let's beach lot, Let's beach
The topics and opinions expressed in the following show are
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(00:20):
for choosing W four c Y Radio.
Speaker 2 (00:26):
Logic, Let's speech logic, Let's beach you.
Speaker 1 (00:35):
In logic, Let's frich in lot, Let's breach all the.
Speaker 2 (00:45):
Logic. Let's brich logic.
Speaker 3 (00:49):
Let's lot. Hello and welcome to It's your Voice, this
show that hosts en richie conversations in diversity. My name
is Bihia Yaxon. I'm a diversity educator and I'm delighted
to share the platform with people from all kinds of
(01:09):
backgrounds and talents and skills. I will just mention I
have a website if you're interested in looking at any
courses I offer to teach various ways of diversity and
cultivating patterns of collusion, inclusion, and belonging. You can go
to my website which is Know what you Want Coaching
dot WordPress dot com. I also want to mention I
(01:31):
am quite under the weather. So I have a wonderful
guest host today. So I'm going to start with introducing
the guest host, and then I get to guest introduce
our very special guest who we've been waiting for for
a long time, a dear friend of the family. So
let's get started and then they will take over. So
(01:52):
my guest host is Emily Hadley Yachxan Maciel. She just
graduated from the University of Washington with a Bachelor of
Landscape Architecture. She's currently working for the Seattle Department of
Transportation on a native forest restoration collaboration with the muckle
Chute tribe. She also just won two awards in architecture
(02:14):
from the Architecture Foundation twenty twenty five Olmsted Scholar and
the twenty twenty five ASLA Student Honor Award. Congratulations Hadly,
amazing interesting, we have a similar last name. Have I
seen you before we met? I'm honored that you are
my niece and super impressed by your super talent and
(02:39):
thank you for stepping in today. I know Sam is
a dear friend to you and your family as well.
So our special guest today is Sam Ganem, who opened
Sam's Dediterranean Cuisine in California and September nineteen ninety five
with his family and a small university town here where
(03:00):
students flock and there are lines, the tables are filled,
the food is incredible, good year round. Families are there
to get a taste of authentic Middle Eastern dishes delicious. Uh,
we're gonna you're gonna hear about the food for one thing,
and also his uh secret ingredient and customer service. He
makes you feel so at home. He makes everyone talk
(03:24):
about creating an atmosphere belonging. Everyone's included and belongs. So
Sam has a bachelor's uh or perhaps a higher degree
and by biology. I'm not sure where that music is
coming from. Oh it's probably from Okay. Anyway, I just
want to mention he has a bachelors in biography, but
he chose to do like one of the hardest jobs
(03:45):
in the world, which is running a restaurant. So welcome, Sam,
I know you're so loved by the community. Thank you
for being here, and one of your wonderful daughters is
thank you for being here?
Speaker 4 (03:58):
Realm uh. How are you guys both doing fine?
Speaker 3 (04:04):
Good?
Speaker 4 (04:04):
How are y'all happy to connect me too?
Speaker 3 (04:07):
I'm gonna I'm gonna excuse myself so you guys can
talk since your will, and I'll come back on a.
Speaker 4 (04:14):
Thank you hi y'all.
Speaker 5 (04:16):
So, I guess thanks, thanks for being here, and it's
good to see y'all after so so long. I guess
just to start off, how what was your journey to
get to the US and and to California and Davis
in particular, sam Uh.
Speaker 2 (04:35):
As a matter of fact, I came here as a student,
and I went in Maryland Charles County Community College, and
I moved to North Carolina.
Speaker 4 (04:45):
And I went to Shire University.
Speaker 2 (04:48):
But I worked in Virginia as a bass void and
a dishwasher and become a head shift.
Speaker 4 (04:55):
You know.
Speaker 2 (04:55):
I was an assistant and I became a head shift,
very very.
Speaker 4 (05:02):
Huge restaurant in d C. And it's called Lastrada.
Speaker 2 (05:06):
Most of their customers were from the Defense Department, congressman, senators,
you know, and a lot Mamma Asia as a famous
the Eastern restaurant.
Speaker 4 (05:17):
They from my back, my hometown. The friends.
Speaker 2 (05:20):
We still talk as a matterpa on very basis. I
think five or four or five presidents eight at that residant,
the Clinton, yeahs Clinton, I think Reagan, uh, four of
them as a so far.
Speaker 5 (05:37):
That's amazing.
Speaker 2 (05:38):
Yeah, if you could look at Mamma Asia, you could
see the pictures.
Speaker 5 (05:44):
That's incredible. I also worked in a in a restaurant
in d C. As well.
Speaker 2 (05:50):
I don't Yeah, my cousins George and George down school
restaurant Georgetown.
Speaker 4 (05:58):
Your what was it called. It's called Diner's.
Speaker 5 (06:04):
Yeah.
Speaker 4 (06:05):
So we used to go back and forth, you know,
me and him.
Speaker 2 (06:07):
You know, I was an Italian American and he works
at the Diner's restaurant.
Speaker 4 (06:12):
You know, it's a steak house. It's a mistake house.
Speaker 2 (06:14):
I don't know if they this up now, but the
when I worked at this was very, very famous. It
has language on each side. I offended in the middle.
Speaker 4 (06:23):
Oh my god, question, that's huge Italian Greek.
Speaker 5 (06:27):
Wow? And that did that kind of kick off your
love for the restaurant business.
Speaker 4 (06:33):
And exactly yea. Then I moved to California.
Speaker 2 (06:37):
He went to Shabot College in here for two years,
got my my A degree and then I transferred to
Hayward University now it's called this Bay and I got
my tears and biology.
Speaker 4 (06:51):
Then I signed up for u c SA. I was
trying to become a doctor. Oh my gosh, yeah wow.
Speaker 2 (06:59):
But somehow my friends talked to me into cooking.
Speaker 4 (07:03):
You know.
Speaker 5 (07:04):
They were like, it's too good, you can't stell.
Speaker 4 (07:07):
Yeah, exactly. And I had a dream one time.
Speaker 2 (07:10):
The dream became a tru that would open a small
business next to a university.
Speaker 5 (07:15):
Yeah.
Speaker 4 (07:16):
I came to Davis somehow stopped at the Nugget.
Speaker 2 (07:19):
You know, the nugget on me and there was a
rag newspapers. I took the newspaper and say, oh my god,
that's the place. I can't do it. It was a
badgy on third Streets. Then I put my eyes on
that place because he has issues with the owner. I
took over and that's where I started my business.
Speaker 4 (07:38):
It was Kababs. But I had issues with the city.
Speaker 2 (07:41):
They wouldn't give you no no nuance times, you know,
and it's very strict on that part of Pucy Davis,
that streets and times. It took me a while to
get the sign. Then from there it was At the beginning,
it was tough, very tough, you know, because I didn't
have no sign, I didn't have no advertisement.
Speaker 5 (08:02):
That was.
Speaker 2 (08:04):
Fstaking, you know. Yeah, all of a sudden two three years,
you know, I get my abutation. I had the steady
customers and from on, you know, students, I've been here
for twenty five years, and my students from day one,
(08:25):
they've come back and see me with the day CEOs, doctors, lawyers, engineers,
they always when they come to Davis, they come is
sent Yeah.
Speaker 5 (08:33):
No, yeah, you've You're a beloved staple. And that's kind
of like something that's amazing, especially in Davis because Davis
there's so much restaurant turnover constantly, and you've been able
to stay open. And I'm I'm wondering, like some of
the other obstacles that you faced aside that from that
(08:54):
first like not having a sign and not being established
because you have other.
Speaker 2 (09:01):
At the beginning, I started as a Greek you don't
talking about it again. Yeah, I was taking at two
o'clock in the morning, you know, chubbing, you know, vegetables
and all that, because it's hard to make chicken cagatory
pier scallopini egg Brand, Parmegiana, Vecilia and Fredomazania. It was
(09:22):
tough and you have so many dishes, so I tried
to adjust. So I said, oh maybe the first year
I started doing that, and all of a sudden I
moved to kebabs and the kabab because the students are
on the budget, prices keeps going up, so I have
to cut down. And then moved the landuishes and you
know rice and all that, you know, showerm mover rice
(09:43):
and moving really good. They love it, you know, shawarm,
pita over salad, a love you know, holmost all of that.
But but when I started the kbab witness, my prices
were three ninety five two skew.
Speaker 4 (10:00):
It helps me. I mean, I had a line, but
I wasn't making money.
Speaker 2 (10:04):
Oh my god, so much money to try to pay
the reputation for businesses, Yeah, I be exactly, but I
did at times, I said, at one o'clock in the morning,
but at the end of the day, my godness, there's
no money.
Speaker 5 (10:20):
It was hard.
Speaker 2 (10:22):
Yeah, I lost. I had to take anna from my
house to pay for my loss. But generally it was hard.
Of course, then the mouth set me up, you know,
another to another.
Speaker 4 (10:37):
You know.
Speaker 2 (10:37):
So that's how it works, you know, from these to
you know, students to members, from Davis to me like
you guys, you know, yeah, it's all love.
Speaker 4 (10:52):
You know. Tabs food is made out of love. You
have a love for cooking.
Speaker 2 (10:56):
Let's say it's going to be tasting good and once
you and presentation.
Speaker 4 (11:01):
You know, the main thing in.
Speaker 2 (11:04):
Running a good business, successful business is being part of
the community. Yeah, this has a great community, you know. Yeah,
you have to build that relationship. Engage with the community,
Engage with the students, Listen to their mus They tell
you so much personal stuff. You build that one and
(11:25):
you try to appoint yourself with them, and you become
one of them. You know, at the end after.
Speaker 4 (11:29):
Four years, you know, you know all their life.
Speaker 2 (11:32):
You know everything about that student or that person because
you keep communicating with them. And part of that is
being humble and passionate and compassionate. You know, you give
time to the customers even though you're running in the kitchen.
But at the same time you have to listen being humble.
When students you graduate from here, they come and ask
me for an advice. I say, you know, the best
(11:53):
advice I can give you is stay humble the way
you are. That time and suit is not going to
make you a better person, and that I heal and
make up and look sure, there's not going to make
you a better person than other person.
Speaker 4 (12:04):
You know, to stay.
Speaker 2 (12:05):
Who you are because hotly speaking, look at the ass
and Manhade, he was my cass. If comes to California,
that's es first stop here. Oh my gosh, they have
doctors as whether they come when the first thing they
come from the airport, it takes me say, I am
on my way and from to visit you, you know,
(12:26):
from the bare from all over. Yeah, that's what I
take you said. It's communicating with that, you know.
Speaker 4 (12:32):
Yeah.
Speaker 5 (12:33):
And food is such a great It's like one of
those cultural like they bring it brings people together. Cook
it whether you're cooking with people or cooking for people.
It's one of those things that like immediately links you,
especially if you share the same food too.
Speaker 2 (12:51):
You know, it's like you can present the food right
you go there. It looks so beautiful, taste so and
at the same time, my main goal always is I
don't cut corners. You know, talking about I don't cut
corners has to be the same for better. Yeah, fortune,
(13:12):
because you're don't expect that customers to come and eat
and when they finish, oh my god, I'm not I'm
still hungry. So you're getting make sure that person who
comes to you, that customer is fed well. And when
they go out and say, oh my god, I got
to come back, and that's what they do, customers, they
come back twice. And so I swear to that customers
twice because they said love your.
Speaker 5 (13:33):
Yeah, it's so good and people love you. I'm curious
what your first like do you remember like a first
memory of food and cooking, like one of your very
first experiences with cooking.
Speaker 4 (13:50):
It's so much, there's so much into it is. You know.
My first one was.
Speaker 2 (13:55):
My plowbacks, you know, you know what, and it's an
upside done.
Speaker 4 (14:01):
It's made out.
Speaker 2 (14:02):
Of chicken or beef or lamb with matter eyes and
then you have to have eggs, bland carriage and the cauliflower,
you know, you know, the common rose. We had to
come in high heat and then you know, slow lettressed.
Speaker 4 (14:20):
A lipit and you could do it.
Speaker 2 (14:22):
Watch Instagram and TikTok and Facebook you will see how
I do it.
Speaker 5 (14:28):
Yeah, no, I've seen it done I've seen it done
my one of my professors, she made macro for US
cheers from Iraq, so it must have may have been
a slightly different recipe. I don't know how do you
know how, because you're obviously like there's a different like
slight always slight variations between like Lebanese food to Palestinian
(14:51):
food to two Syrian food food. It's like subtle, but
they're there.
Speaker 6 (15:00):
They're all different, all different, believe me, even even back home,
a very different some day at potatoes, something at Garbanzo bees,
you know, something at like my kids.
Speaker 4 (15:12):
They're like tomatoes on top of it, so it stays
moist looking upside upside down is one of my favorites.
Prosiety greatly, Oh yes, I love great The lamb chops
in the million is it's the best?
Speaker 5 (15:30):
Who taught? Who taught you how to cook?
Speaker 4 (15:32):
You know? I am a great learner.
Speaker 2 (15:35):
I was in DC then I used to watch my mother,
you know, yeah books, you know I didn't from her
step by then my sister, My sister is a great cook.
Speaker 4 (15:45):
She's in Georgia, you know.
Speaker 2 (15:47):
And from there I made my reputation as a good
cook for middles you know, the best from the best
from the root.
Speaker 4 (15:58):
Yeah, my mother and my sister.
Speaker 3 (16:01):
Yeah.
Speaker 4 (16:02):
But at the same time, you know my experience in DC.
You know, I was the head chef.
Speaker 5 (16:06):
Yeah, and that's environment to learn.
Speaker 2 (16:10):
Exactly, and high ranking officials, you know at that place,
Plus that Mama Iyesa and Washington, d C.
Speaker 4 (16:16):
Is a famous restaurant.
Speaker 5 (16:17):
Yeah, it's really high hand too.
Speaker 4 (16:21):
Yeah, so it's up to date.
Speaker 2 (16:23):
Then my neighbors back home, he's asking me if I
can't go and work for him.
Speaker 5 (16:29):
For him again, you couldn't ever leave, Davis. We wouldn't
let you.
Speaker 2 (16:37):
About a month ago I started to message. He showed
me the whole restaurant. Inside he makes the grave leaves
by himself, and the zucchini and and.
Speaker 4 (16:47):
All the spices he used for each one.
Speaker 2 (16:49):
You know, whenever he took a dish for himself, he
send me chicken kabab and a barb on the charcoal.
You know, he works with his kids. It's a beautiful,
beautiful would very delicious.
Speaker 5 (17:02):
Yeah. Yeah, and your family.
Speaker 4 (17:04):
Is different than the restaurants here.
Speaker 2 (17:07):
You know, I am working for students because they own
a budget.
Speaker 4 (17:10):
You know, I cannot have much.
Speaker 2 (17:12):
I cannot have you know, other dishes because you know,
it's hard, very harm you know.
Speaker 5 (17:18):
Do you ever do those more specialty dishes in other
contexts or just for your family? What?
Speaker 2 (17:25):
I just for my family, sometimes for guests, you know,
sometimes for school sometimes, you know, when they ask me.
I know I used to do it at the beginning,
but I can it done because it's too much work.
Speaker 4 (17:36):
Yeah, I don't want to be part of.
Speaker 2 (17:38):
The university because you have to have eye insurance and
you have to deliver, you know, so they order and
they pick. Yeah, I have faculty members that from there.
One every time they open school, they asked me to
make food for them, especially biology department, you know, ecology.
Speaker 4 (17:55):
And all that. And almost twenty five years you know why,
you know.
Speaker 2 (18:02):
Uh, Chancellor, I came here, his wife comes here all
the time.
Speaker 4 (18:07):
Me his wife, she comes all the time.
Speaker 2 (18:09):
He has your customer and Mary, she's uh provost, you know, yeah,
you know, assistant chancellor.
Speaker 4 (18:18):
You know.
Speaker 5 (18:19):
Oh my gosh, yeah, everybody there's not Instagram.
Speaker 2 (18:24):
She said that, but then she gave me up. Ken
Bertest was asking you have you watched him on Facebook?
He's dancing all the time. I watch him on Instagram.
Speaker 5 (18:33):
Oh my god, Oh do you know do you know
what your customer's favorite food is that you sir.
Speaker 2 (18:43):
With all honesty, I have a customer who stuck with
Chicken Show all the time. I have a customer who's
over rice all the time. If you go on, you
go on yel it kills you. Some customers, Oh my god,
I can't When you go to sleep, I dream about that.
Speaker 4 (18:59):
Day, you know, try so they said, I can't wait
to wake up in the morning.
Speaker 2 (19:02):
Come some some even they say, oh my god, I
was dreaming that I'm going to go.
Speaker 4 (19:07):
To Samson and the next day was Sunday.
Speaker 5 (19:09):
You know.
Speaker 2 (19:12):
So you know, everybody's different. Yeah, your fingers are different.
Some people they like flapped vegetarians. Some people something like
flapplead something.
Speaker 4 (19:24):
They want all the time. Mm hmmm.
Speaker 5 (19:27):
Did you kind of did you develop your menu just
trying to like be budget friendly or was it also
because you really love the foods that you serve too,
Like you have that distinct like salad that you always serve,
and the like yogurt sauce and and all of That's
like obviously that's that's those are common delicious foods.
Speaker 4 (19:48):
But you know, you know, because if you add on
the sandwich, because.
Speaker 2 (19:57):
You can spread on the top of the and meat,
you know, it gives it safer. Sorry with the zat
sauce then and homos sometimes people they like homost you know,
and there's more homos, so I don't know what more,
So you have.
Speaker 4 (20:13):
To be flexible.
Speaker 2 (20:14):
Yeah, customers, you know, and people they like it spicy,
extra spicy. I have a customer says extra spicy.
Speaker 5 (20:23):
Wow, I don't think I've ever had it spicy. What's
the common like pepper that's used in and.
Speaker 2 (20:31):
Three kinds of peppers, you know, and chili pepper, you know.
Then you have tomatoes and vinegar. God, like, you know
it takes it takes time to make it. It takes time. Wow,
absolutely remember remember keep in mind practice makes perfect.
Speaker 5 (20:49):
Yes, it's true, it's hard.
Speaker 2 (20:53):
I always tell my customers it's not nice to be important,
It's more important to be nice.
Speaker 5 (20:59):
I love you, Yeah, I feel like you even should.
I feel like had such a good connection because you
all you both have so much wisdom and you're always
like you always have like the best advice to people,
and I feel like I'm curious, like is that part
of how you've made so many close friends in Davis? Like,
(21:23):
how did you go about that.
Speaker 4 (21:25):
You know, let me tell you the truth.
Speaker 2 (21:27):
When I started my business, I had so much communication
with the students. They became so close to me that
some of them used to come to my house and
they don't want to leave, swear to go. Some of
them they see that the house because my wife's so
nice to them. She makes She gave him all the
left over. They asked for it, and when can we
(21:50):
come back?
Speaker 4 (21:50):
They used to have.
Speaker 2 (21:51):
I used to have parties every Sunday and Monday night.
And my watch, she books for thirty forty people. You know,
Oh my gosh, before we go dancing, and you know,
in the house you put the music and then till
two three o'clock in the morning. But they have to
leave the house at seven, they said, at three four
o'clock in the morning.
Speaker 4 (22:08):
Then Mondays and Sundays, I have visions. I can show
you am I wish we had.
Speaker 2 (22:17):
And they come to me the next day, one you
gonna have us again? When are you gonna have us?
Speaker 4 (22:21):
But again?
Speaker 2 (22:22):
So you then at the same time, let me tell
you what the students at that time, they didn't have
money sometimes, so I gave him a slag, you know, say, oh,
don't worry and sayways, oh, just go and they come
back they want to pay me.
Speaker 4 (22:37):
I say, don't worry about it, it's okay, it's okay.
It's from the heart.
Speaker 2 (22:41):
So that human dignity and human connection with those people,
keep that together.
Speaker 4 (22:49):
You know, that bond.
Speaker 2 (22:50):
You know, it kept me going on for so many
years with those people. They never forget about me, They
never forget about that love. I get them that respect,
you know I'm talking about. I recognize the pain and
the sorrow. You know, then I keep trying.
Speaker 4 (23:07):
You know, he will never see sorrow, will never see Joe.
You know.
Speaker 2 (23:10):
It's okay. You're struggling now, but that's what success. You know,
life is a learning experience every day.
Speaker 4 (23:19):
So you have some people.
Speaker 2 (23:20):
They come crying for me, okay, yeah, Pennies, I swear
to God that And I said, oh.
Speaker 4 (23:25):
My god, it's okay. My doughter comes. I said, what
you should? I say, just tell them book take it.
Speaker 2 (23:29):
It's okay because it's my friend, so you know, and
they give you three dollars. I say, no, it's okay,
don't worry about you know, that love connection and that
feeling for others and for humanity kept me going, and
that's what keeps me.
Speaker 4 (23:46):
Going up to date. You know, I'm a simple person.
I'm simple, you know, and I keep Yeah, I keep
that simplicity. You know.
Speaker 2 (23:57):
I spend time with them. I don't care how are
you are on how low you are. I threat everybody
would respect, you know, I don't see, Oh, Emily is
better person. I want to take time with her, spend
more time with the I threak everybody with respect, genuinely,
you know, from the heart. You know, not I because
I want to use that person who they used me, but.
Speaker 4 (24:18):
Out of respect and out of love.
Speaker 5 (24:20):
Yeah, I just wanted to point out they brought up
I don't know who's bringing up these pictures, but there's.
Speaker 4 (24:27):
A picture with has Yes, Yeah, I saw it.
Speaker 5 (24:32):
Yeah, and that's yeah. He's been there, he's been one.
Speaker 4 (24:37):
Of your Yeah, he's I have maybe for a long time. Yeah.
Speaker 2 (24:42):
Every time he comes here, he takes pictures with me.
We have videos. But he posted me on his page.
He gets I know how many thousands on his Instagram.
He posted me when he came here one time and
he said he told everybody to come to sand You know,
(25:02):
that's good.
Speaker 5 (25:03):
He should everyone should go to sands. Oh yeah, there
it is again.
Speaker 2 (25:08):
My he has a wonderful family. His wife is so nice.
He invited me to go to New York. He always
you better come to me with me. Sam becoming visiness
in New York. Oh, very nice people, very humby.
Speaker 5 (25:20):
I'm curious. Well, actually there's a question from my dad.
He's curious about how you managed to run a family business,
because that can be that can be really challenging.
Speaker 2 (25:33):
You know, honestly speaking, these is very tough. Yeah, price
is hiaracketing after COVID. But a box of meat at
that time for fifty nine dollars up to six life.
Now it's hand at forty twenty pounds, twenty foud twenty
pounds at that time for fifty nine. Now it's handed
in forty a twenty six. It was one or nine
(25:56):
and twenty six and one for prices by racketing. Still
much used to get to yoga for forty five for
the twenty seven bucks you know again, and now it's
seventy fives a summer three, you open street for eighteen,
now it's forty five.
Speaker 4 (26:14):
It's crazy. Look at the oil prices.
Speaker 2 (26:16):
So anytime ail prices go up, prices go up, you
know I'm talking about and after go with, everything went
down and it's nice twenty for everybody. I mean sometimes
when I see you go to the grocery store and
I see the advice of my god, it's tough to
be honest on a fixed income. It's very tough. I
(26:36):
don't know how people can manage being on a fixed
income because it's hard or hard disease. You know, you
go to the grocery store, you buy a few things,
it's two hundred three hundred bucks, you know, and when
you see what did I buy, it's like nothing.
Speaker 5 (26:51):
Yeah, does it help? Does it help that you have
your family?
Speaker 2 (26:56):
Like course, my wife she used to be it was
my back one. She used to help me in a
book and all of that.
Speaker 4 (27:04):
And that was a huge loss, huge loss. Uh, that's
why I took two years off. But at the same time,
you know you're gonna say, O, man, I need to
go back.
Speaker 2 (27:14):
I need to back and beat those customers who stood
by me and the community honesty in general, students, faculty members,
everybody in including you guys. Everybody stood with me and
piled me up, you know, make me send on my
feet again. I had a rough time with the owner,
previous owner. He sold the building and I had to
(27:37):
hire a lawyer. It was very tough. And then my
wife's loss was tough. With doctors who falsify information. You
give me, you know, I'm talking misinformation. I give you
miss it says, very tough. You need the team every day,
every day. It doesn't go away. If someone you have
(27:58):
to move on. She's a but it's still there because
when you get the wrong information, they'll tell you one
thing and they write something against all of a sudden,
they tell you all three days. It's hard they tell
and all of a sudden, Oh, you have three days
to do.
Speaker 4 (28:14):
That's the toughest. It will never go away from your head,
you know, you know, but it's hard, hard, hard, hard.
Speaker 2 (28:22):
It's hard to be yeah, with the lost, especially when
you when you lived it, especially when based on a
hundred percent guarantee and all of a sudden, less than
twenty four hours from Oh and then will you find
out they knew one month earlier when I was telling
him all the way through that month, something is wrong.
Speaker 4 (28:41):
So it's there.
Speaker 5 (28:44):
Yeah, what did she what was her look involvement in
the in the restaurant?
Speaker 4 (28:50):
Oh there she is the fastest, really one of the fastest.
You get it. But if I say leaves.
Speaker 2 (29:00):
Winning the Great Deeps today, you know, you turn around,
you go to the store, compare it's done.
Speaker 4 (29:06):
Oh my gosh, how did you do it?
Speaker 5 (29:08):
That's incredible when she likes super fast at chopping and
everything everything.
Speaker 4 (29:14):
I mean, she can to book more than.
Speaker 2 (29:16):
One meal, even my guests when I have on Thanksgiving
or around the Christmas or when I have a birthday party.
One time she made a birthday party for me and
I didn't even I didn't know. I go to the
house thinking, you know, normally what Saturday, and I parked
my car with my kids, came down.
Speaker 4 (29:36):
No cars.
Speaker 2 (29:36):
I don't see any cars, you know, in the buttla.
And she surprised me, invited over forty five to fifty
people over families, balloons and cake and music, and she
made the plan that she told everybody to park because
away away from the house.
Speaker 4 (29:56):
I had surprise I ever had from her, which is.
Speaker 5 (30:01):
Sweet.
Speaker 4 (30:02):
It was, It's amazing.
Speaker 5 (30:05):
He sounds so special, very special.
Speaker 4 (30:10):
This Oh, I'm not going to make it today.
Speaker 2 (30:12):
I'm tired, you know, but when I go home, it's
today surprise, you know, it's my my, Oh my god,
it's not done.
Speaker 4 (30:20):
Why should I eat before I go home? You know?
Oh my god? What is that? Your daughters?
Speaker 5 (30:30):
You have daughters that are also working in the kitchen
with you, right, yeah.
Speaker 4 (30:33):
They hit me. Oh no, no, Yeah, they're very good.
Yeah they.
Speaker 2 (30:37):
Do.
Speaker 5 (30:38):
Any of them possess this rapid cooking ability.
Speaker 2 (30:43):
Yes, they look pretty good, even the youngest, the one
who works behind the guys. She is honestly, she cooks
tacos and burritos.
Speaker 4 (30:56):
Oh my god.
Speaker 2 (30:56):
They all my kids and my guests when they try
her food, I don't know. She doesn't show me her spices.
Speaker 5 (31:05):
You. It's a secret from you.
Speaker 4 (31:10):
That has to be.
Speaker 2 (31:11):
But what I'm saying is the way she books it.
One day, make it and make it. I tell it,
to make you some food good. And believe that the
food she makes like tacos, she makes britos, and she
makes like I don't know if you know cala, you know,
beef steak with tomatoes and other fish, tomatoes, garlic, and
(31:36):
believe it very very delicious.
Speaker 4 (31:38):
So she she must have learned from the best mater,
not me. She's like you.
Speaker 5 (31:44):
She got jeans on both sides. She has the jeans
on both sides.
Speaker 4 (31:54):
I give that's are there.
Speaker 5 (31:58):
But I want to like give people an idea of
like other things that are on your menu aside from
just the falaf What other things do you offer?
Speaker 4 (32:10):
What luck to you?
Speaker 3 (32:11):
They?
Speaker 2 (32:11):
I surprise my customers sometimes make them paklava, deser and
make them coneta, you know, which is my favorite dessert
and the what bad? I don't know if you know
what bad? The triangle shape it's made with the cheese.
It's very delicious if you go on, if you see
(32:32):
it comes in triangle shape before you know, it's like
it becomes a square, you know.
Speaker 4 (32:37):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (32:39):
Other day they love it. You know, I still pride
the customers. They come in, they buy, then I go outside.
They give them paklava, you know the one I make,
you know, it's like especially I make it. Then I
give them a fancy Oh my god, my watch she
loves it. Sam, you have any more than examdy come here?
I make those dates? Don't your grandpa loves those days?
Speaker 4 (33:00):
You know? Dates? Mamond m very very delicious people. I
sent that the other day Maria.
Speaker 2 (33:07):
You know Mary Provost m hm that she asked me
about three weeks ago and she gave me out with
Ken and she said I loved those. When she was
invited to a place to have Arabic place, I think
from Egypt. Is what kind of does this? So there
is so that I made her some and I send
it with a new researcher.
Speaker 4 (33:27):
He came with Ken.
Speaker 2 (33:29):
Davis and he was going to see her just take
a give from Sam.
Speaker 1 (33:35):
Yuh?
Speaker 5 (33:36):
Yeah, is that your Do you think that's your special?
Teachers are with the Yeah.
Speaker 2 (33:40):
That's especially. That's only I make it special because it's
made up of cheese. You know, I don't like otherwise.
Speaker 4 (33:45):
You have to you have to freeze it, and what
bad you need to?
Speaker 5 (33:51):
And yeah, I'm curious. Out of all the amazing adventures
that you've been on in your life, what what are
you most proud of?
Speaker 4 (34:01):
Oh?
Speaker 2 (34:01):
My goodness, making that connection so many great people you
know with us from the community, students, professors, you know,
these wonderful people. You know, I don't know that kindness
that you get from those people. You know, whenever they
come back, if they don't see me in the kitchen,
they look for me and they come back in the
(34:25):
other room, you know, and like spend time with me
talking to me in the back room. You know, that's
a blast. You know, that's that's a gift from God.
That's a there's a bonus that you can get any
it's a human connection, you know, humanity. You know you
have to keep that human then keep that. It's like
(34:46):
recognize the humanity of others. Yeah, the amanity for others.
That's how I do it. You know, I think everybody
has me. It's like my family afar, my extended family.
Speaker 4 (35:00):
You know what I mean, like you bet, Yeah, I
know we've had command. You know, I used to come here,
she said, what do you have for me today? Hey?
Speaker 2 (35:13):
Sam, I'm going to see to the chests that today
what you have for me? I want to take it
for him. And then this is from Sam.
Speaker 5 (35:22):
Yeah, We've had so many, so many family events at
your face, and you've always made it so memorable for us,
Like my brother's twenty first birthday I think it was,
and you just brought out the most guys, beautiful fiefs,
like foods I hadn't had before either. They were and
they were so like there's obviously an extra special ingredient
(35:45):
in there.
Speaker 4 (35:46):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (35:46):
You know if you go on the Facebook horse or
tick and there's a lady. Her name is Karenlight. She
was the chief secretary for the medicine department at UC Davis.
Speaker 4 (36:00):
There is she returned her the husband as a doctor.
Speaker 2 (36:03):
She invited every time a dean has a birthday, or
a femin member have a birthday.
Speaker 4 (36:10):
Or researcher have a birthday.
Speaker 2 (36:11):
She has so much connections, so many people to go
on on on my.
Speaker 4 (36:16):
Facebook, you see her.
Speaker 2 (36:18):
I have videos on because at least two three times
a year she brings but she comes. He a regular customer,
but she every time she has a birthday, she texts me, Sam,
I'm bringing this ten twelve people, eight people, ten people,
and we have a birthday for them. So I had
to make a specially see that's what that's when I
go off my menu question for those people. I don't
(36:41):
do it for everybody because it's hard, but the meaning
I know that they should buy me all the time,
they stay by me. I think everybody with respect the
same everybody, but those people, when I commit myself, I
can't say no.
Speaker 4 (36:53):
It's hard for me to say no.
Speaker 5 (36:54):
I know you're been so sweet to us. I'm curious
what some of those like special extra dishes are that
you usually make there was I remember there was one
that had like.
Speaker 4 (37:06):
Stake with vegetables.
Speaker 2 (37:08):
Yeah, I made a steak with vegetables and chicken with vegetables.
Speaker 4 (37:11):
You know.
Speaker 2 (37:13):
I make a you know, grand beef with skills. You know,
I do sometimes, you know on skill wars, you know
outside the brink the barbecue here, and I do it
for some guests, you know sometimes when I have I
do mclube. I did it for as a matter of fact,
I did it for famous He is a famous doctor.
(37:34):
You know, he teaches residents and his day when he
teaches residents, you know, doctors.
Speaker 4 (37:41):
He's in charge of.
Speaker 2 (37:44):
For that idiatic, theatic the department that you see Davis.
Every time he has a company or a doctor from overseas,
I have to make his food, you know, food for them.
I made them MCLUBA went time for him and Stephen
Wooting Joantcy the film The Lawyer number one Northern California.
And when I met them, I think I have almost
(38:05):
eighteen thousand INSTIGAREMMS people went to show that one. Yeah, yeah,
that's incredible. And what he what he did. I'm just
going to give you an example.
Speaker 4 (38:16):
Poor guy.
Speaker 2 (38:16):
He had doctors on bite it over and he made mcluber.
Speaker 4 (38:22):
You know, he tried to make it. He made it
like a kick, but it's burned. It's burned.
Speaker 2 (38:27):
When you come here, I'm going to show you. So
he said it to me. Look what happened to my back,
glove back. It's like it's like a cake, but it's burned.
Speaker 5 (38:36):
Me.
Speaker 2 (38:37):
You know what I did that day? Well, he said,
he has Guess tonight I made the mcluber.
Speaker 4 (38:43):
Oh my, when I made it, I.
Speaker 2 (38:45):
Drove to Dixon. I said, doctor Vick, I am in Dixon.
Can you meet me from your house at the restaurant?
Speaker 4 (38:51):
Why he said, I made your mcluba because I think
that you know you have.
Speaker 5 (38:55):
You're saving you're saving lives even though you didn't go
into the coal fields.
Speaker 2 (39:02):
I swear to God I made him therefore because he
has and and he was so happy him and his wife,
Oh my goodness. You don't know how much joy I
put it in space and his wife to make him good.
Speaker 4 (39:16):
You know, say, oh my god, that be bad. It's
the ingredients. So it took me two hours.
Speaker 2 (39:25):
So between that time and the time we had I
guess I made it and a surprise, and I didn't
tell him even that's incredible.
Speaker 5 (39:33):
You know how you have those and and you've had
these beautiful murals in your other location. O, yes, those murals,
and your question, I.
Speaker 4 (39:44):
Said, that's a long story.
Speaker 2 (39:46):
Somebody came and wrote about it, even the newspaper and
at the museum down on what happened is I knew students, Okay,
we're going into art studying art at Davis University.
Speaker 4 (40:02):
Right a new few of them.
Speaker 2 (40:04):
And I mentioned that I need to draw some Mediterranean
design in the restaurant, especially the alaxa which you see
in my background here in the background.
Speaker 4 (40:15):
So he said, oh, I can't do it for you
and asked him how much. He said, oh, just not much.
Just feed me and is speaking.
Speaker 2 (40:26):
You know how many people ten ten students joined him
when he was drawing an assisted tell one two o'clock
in the morning playing music, and one from Japan, one
from Japan, three from Mexico City, and two and from
America from USCN, two from Brazil. And all of them
(40:46):
made that connection. Every day they come and draw, because
that one is a tough one. Each one took apart.
And when lady came from Brazil, her daughter was helping
me here at restaurant.
Speaker 4 (40:56):
She came from Brazil.
Speaker 2 (40:58):
She is a good artist, but she is a doctor
and she threw all the trees on the world, unfortunately
gone when I moved from that business.
Speaker 4 (41:05):
Yea, I know. But my son threw everything here. He
did by himself.
Speaker 5 (41:12):
He is so talented.
Speaker 2 (41:14):
Yeah, he did by himself. How I don't know. I
was working in the next building. Then he said I'm
going to go and do something. I come back and say,
oh my goodness, how did you do that? Wow, I'm
going to copy that one because that one is gone.
And the customer said told me, before you move, please
try to do the same because we used to.
Speaker 4 (41:35):
Put it a hoard in the world. You know.
Speaker 2 (41:38):
The other building was so small. Yeah, and I did
that when my son did it, he did a good job.
Speaker 5 (41:46):
He did. I was I was worried that it wouldn't
that it wouldn't have that same character once we knew
you were moving. But it's so beautiful now.
Speaker 2 (41:56):
And you even the first one who did the first
the one in the old building.
Speaker 4 (42:04):
Yeah, and another lady.
Speaker 2 (42:06):
They always communicated with me at that time if I
needed help.
Speaker 4 (42:10):
Honestly, they're so nice. They always say can we come in?
But my son said, oh, I want to finish it.
I want to do it. I want to learn. So
he did it. But he did. I mean they did
a great job. They did. Would you money? And guess
what friendship? Food? The don't want food, the house and
(42:33):
my wife she has a peace for they don't want
to leave.
Speaker 5 (42:37):
Well, thank you so much. Sam, I'm gonna bring the
here back on. But you have so much to be
proud of. And we're so grateful for your presence and
our community.
Speaker 2 (42:47):
I'm so proud to know you and meet you and
be part of my my extended family.
Speaker 7 (42:52):
I know you, you know, isn't my heart always in
every time he used to come, he says, what joke
do you have?
Speaker 4 (43:08):
But wish you will?
Speaker 3 (43:11):
Thank you you too, thank you damn, thank you so much.
And your your restaurant is like a home. People feel
so welcome and so loved and you represent people so
beautifully well and it's a genuine, authentic and uh and
you you go the extra mile for everybody the first Yeah,
(43:33):
it's just like I don't know.
Speaker 2 (43:36):
I always say it will be more, it will be
most effective. Like if you become your best sense, you
know what I mean, your best sense is that's that's when.
Speaker 4 (43:48):
You have that the human dignity for people.
Speaker 2 (43:52):
My advice to everybody, like you said in your communication,
you need and community engagement aware globally, you know, we
need to love with each other. We need to have peace,
you know, help each other, share the resources, you know,
spread that love, spread that connection. Don't be yourself only
(44:14):
try to help others. Keep that fund together. That's what's
going on these days. No social life before. We USh
to have a social life now with the technology. Technology
is great, but we abuse it. We abuse it, and
we don't keep that family together, you know, that family connection.
If you lose that family connection, then we lost you know,
(44:35):
family values is number one. You know I love with
each other as much as I love.
Speaker 3 (44:40):
You too, Model, and your entire family is so sweet,
every every family member when we when we step in,
there is so welcoming and it's so heartfelt.
Speaker 2 (44:52):
I'm gonna invite you one into my house, you guys
and make you a nice barbecue.
Speaker 3 (44:57):
M hm. We would invite you to our house, so
yeah for once you.
Speaker 4 (45:02):
Yeah, but my mind fast, you know, try my home cooking.
Speaker 3 (45:07):
Wow, and thank you again for your advice to the world.
I love either earlier you said to you tell people
stay humble and stay who you are number one.
Speaker 2 (45:15):
And I'm being passionate that die answer. It's not going
to make you a better person.
Speaker 4 (45:20):
Believe me.
Speaker 2 (45:22):
Money and when today in your hand, tomorrow in somebody's hand.
But that love, when it trust trust, That trust you
lose trust, you lose everything.
Speaker 4 (45:32):
Trust is number one.
Speaker 3 (45:33):
Your custom is profound.
Speaker 4 (45:36):
You lose that trust, it's all over. You know, it's
like your brother.
Speaker 2 (45:40):
They promise you to do something, or you didn't keep
that promise, or you did something that they say, oh
my god, that's it.
Speaker 4 (45:47):
The trust is gone.
Speaker 2 (45:48):
So you have to take that trust there. You know,
if I did you, I'm going to be there at four.
I have to be there at four or ither wise
have to come up with an excuse.
Speaker 3 (45:57):
But there you will be.
Speaker 4 (46:00):
Well.
Speaker 3 (46:00):
Thank you again so much, and thank Reim and your
whole family, and thank you Emily Hadley, Yax and May
Sale for co hosting or actually hosting the show. Thank
you to our engineer Rebel and to our producer being Keen,
and to all the listeners and viewers and the questions
that came in and we all have enriching conversations and
(46:21):
diversity this week and absorb Sam's incredible advice of love you,
We love you, god bye, we love you too.
Speaker 2 (46:35):
Let's beach logic, Let's beach show.
Speaker 1 (46:43):
In lot, let's speech in lot, Let's beach
Speaker 4 (46:52):
Lot, Let's beach lot, Let's beach
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