By SHELLY GUERRA

Strongsville Post editor

Fantastic food and superior service at great value are in store when you eat at Gourme Deli and Restaurant.

The family-style eatery, located at 15315 Pearl Road, between Lunn and Shurmer roads in Strongsville, has been a staple in the community for 18 years.

"My theory is to always give the best quality for the best prices," said owner Azar Khouri. "I want to make sure the food is worth the money the customer is paying and I always treat the customers the way I would want to be treated. The years that we have been here says that we have done something right."

Gourme time, any time

It's always a good time to go to Gourme Deli and Restaurant, as they serve up a large menu of breakfast, lunch and dinner entrees, and everything in between. There are always at least three daily specials for lunch and dinner on the menu, as well as several more daily specials listed on the board at the entrance.

Daily breakfast specials begin at just $1.99. The restaurant is known for its homemade pancakes (choose from buttermilk, chocolate chips or blueberry), as well as breakfast skillets like the new Country Western skillet that includes a buttermilk biscuit topped with smoked chicken, scrambled eggs with onions and peppers, topped with Gourme's famous sausage gravy and cheddar cheese. Sausage lovers may prefer the new Sausage Lovers Skillet, which includes two farm fresh scrambled eggs with smoked sausage, Cajun sausage, breakfast sausage, onions and peppers served in an old fashioned skillet and topped with cheddar cheese. There is also a variety of omelets, like the Mexican or Mardi Gras variety.

From 7:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. on weekends, Gourmet Deli and Restaurant offers a full, all-you-can-eat breakfast buffet for just $6.99 for adults and $3.99 for children. And speaking of the little ones, kids eat free all day Tuesday and Saturday with the purchase of an adult entrée.

"I have the philosophy that I'd rather make a quarter and have a customer tell 10 of their friends about us than to make $1 and no one tells anyone about us," Khouri said.

A full Middle Eastern menu offers favorites like hummus, tabouleh, gyros (with a creamy homemade cucumber sauce not to be missed) and beef or chicken shawrma. The Gourmet Platter gives diners the ultimate sampling of Middle Eastern fare, including hummus, baba ghanooj, falafel, ylanji and kibbi with pita on the side for $7.99. And of course, all of these items are offered as separate dishes for those who can't get enough of this tasty food.

Lunch and dinner items include steaks, chicken, turkey, lamb, liver and meatloaf, as well as seafood and pierogies. Italian items include spaghetti with homemade sauce, parmigiana and Gourme's special lasagna. All dinners include the all-you-can-eat soup and salad bar.

Specialty stir fries include a delicious selection of garden-fresh vegetables, including broccoli, cauliflower, carrots, celery and onions gently stir fried and served on a bed of home made rice pilaf. Chicken, beef, or shrimp can be added upon request.

Gourme also serves up deli sandwiches, including corned beef, chicken salad and tuna salad; as well as hot sandwiches like Reuben and melts. Of course, there are the good 'ole burgers on the menu, too.

Every Wednesday and Friday, there is an all-you-can-eat perch dinner that includes the soup and salad bar for $7.99. Roast lamb shank over a bead of rice pilaf is served up on Sundays for $8.99. If you have room for dessert, Gourme has it covered. They have homemade Baklava, namora, rice pudding and ice cream, as well as assorted cheese cake, fruit and cream pies and layer cakes.

Fresh, never frozen

If you are looking for the freshest ingredients, look no further than Gourme Deli and Restaurant. Khouri is proud to say that all of the foods are made from the finest ingredients--from the gravy to the french fries to the apple crisp dessert and well-known bread pudding.

"We have the real stuff here, it's not frozen," Khouri said. "And everything is made from scratch--the roast beef, turkey, stuffing and our soup and salad bar features all homemade items."

Kickin' back to relax at Gourme

Gourme Deli and Restaurant's large patio is now open. As one of the first in the city of Strongsville to offer diners an outdoor experience, there are designated areas for both smokers and non-smokers.

The business is also the first in the area to offer a Hookah bar on the patio. A hookah is a large water pipe, where flavored tobacco is placed at the top and is smoked from a long tube. Tobacco flavors like apricot, grape, mango, mint, orange, pineapple, watermelon and the popular strawberry and double apple varieties are available to choose from.

"Hookah bars are popular downtown and on the east side, so we thought this could be a good addition for Strongsville. There are a lot of Middle Eastern people in Strongsville, and it is also popular with the college kids. So instead of traveling somewhere for a Hookah, we made this new addition," Khouri said.

Domestic beer is also always on special for $1.50 all day, every day.

Gourme also hosts a car show every Friday from 5 to 9 p.m. and grills out hamburgers and hot dogs. The event has become so popular that framed photos of cars and their owners line the walls of the restaurant, which Khouri affectionately calls "The Gourme Hall of Fame."

Valued family, friends and customers

Khouri, who describes himself as a hands-on owner, spends a lot of his time behind the scenes in the kitchen. He proudly says that some of his staff has been there since the day he opened his doors in Strongsville.

"The employees are what makes you or breaks you. They are on my side and I trust them--and I do everything I can for them, too," he said. "We are a local business and people come here because of me and my employees."

Khouri said truly taking care of his customers also keeps them coming back to his Gourme Deli and Restaurant, the Gourme Family Restaurant on Lorain Road in North Ridgeville and his brother's business, Somer's Restaurant, on West 150th Street in Cleveland--instead of choosing larger chain restaurants.

"I've made a lot of friends through this business," Khouri said. "And I give thanks to our regular customers and our dedicated employees. Without them, I couldn't have done this."

Stop in and see what Gourme Deli and Restaurant is all about. Located at 15315 Pearl Road, they are open for business Monday through Saturday from 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. and on Sunday from 6 a.m. to 9 p.m.