S1e2: Sunnin Lebanese Cafe

a delicious gem in Santa Monica called Sunnin Lebanese Cafe

During the summer of 2019, I stumbled upon a delicious gem in Santa Monica called Sunnin Lebanese Cafe and was immediately pulled in by their stunning decor. As I walked into the restaurant, I knew Sunnin had a lot of substantial history based upon all the photos lining their walls. After my initial meeting with the daughter of the founder of Sunnin, Nicole, I sensed a lot of pride for her culture and her family-owned restaurant.

Similar to Nicole, my good friend Maya, also strongly embraces her culture and customs, which is why it was a no brainer for me to ask her to be the special guest in this episode of Nutrihunt. Maya passionately shares her experiences as a first generation, American Lebanese woman, which parallels Nicole's experiences. Even though they met for the first time when we filmed, the genuine banter and instant connection they had made it seem like they had known each other for years.

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On the menu at Sunnin, the White Meat Chicken Kebab with the Fattoush Salad is the most popular entree, while one of the healthiest dishes is the Wild Salmon Kebab alongside the Tabbouleh Salad. Both meals were incredibly tasteful and refreshing. Maya and I felt well nourished after we tried these Lebanese staples, and strongly encourage anyone who visits Sunnin to try them for themselves!

Sunnin Lebanese Cafe had two locations: one in Westwood and one in downtown Santa Monica. Unfortunately, due to the pandemic, the Santa Monica location is now closed. However, the delicious and healthy menu that was at the Santa Monica location is still available and has even more options in Westwood!

Depending on the actual day of the week and time (looking at you, The 405), the Westwood restaurant is very close to UCLA, Beverly Hills, Santa Monica, and The Getty Museum. If you are ever in these lovely locations, and on the hunt for some healthful Lebanese food, be sure to visit Nicole and George at Sunnin Lebanese Cafe!

 
 

Scientific Resources for Sunnin

Abbaspour, N., Hurrell, R., & Kelishadi, R. (2014). Review on iron and its importance for human health. Journal of research in medical sciences : the official journal of Isfahan University of Medical Sciences19(2), 164–174.

Chicken, pasture-raised. (n.d.). Retrieved August 19, 2019, from http://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?tname=foodspice&dbid=116

Martínez-González, M. A. (2019, February 28). The Mediterranean diet and cardiovascular health. Circulation Research. Retrieved August 19, 2019, from https://www.ahajournals.org/doi/full/10.1161/CIRCRESAHA.118.313348

Martín-Peláez, S., Fito, M., & Castaner, O. (2020, July 27). Mediterranean diet effects on type 2 DIABETES PREVENTION, disease progression, and RELATED Mechanisms. a review. MDPI. Retrieved September 9, 2021, from https://www.mdpi.com/2072-6643/12/8/2236/htm

National Research Council (US) Committee on Copper in Drinking Water. Copper in Drinking Water. Washington (DC): National Academies Press (US); 2000. 2, Physiological Role of Copper. Available from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK225407/

Phosphorus. Linus Pauling Institute. (2021, January 1). Retrieved September 9, 2021, from https://lpi.oregonstate.edu/mic/minerals/phosphorus

Razquin, C., & Martinez-Gonzalez, M. A. (2019, August 9). A traditional Mediterranean Diet effectively Reduces inflammation and improves cardiovascular health. MDPI. Retrieved August 19, 2019, from https://www.mdpi.com/2072-6643/11/8/1842/htm

Taking too much vitamin d can cloud its benefits and create health risks. Harvard Health. (2019, December 15). Retrieved September 9, 2021, from https://www.health.harvard.edu/staying-healthy/taking-too-much-vitamin-d-can-cloud-its-benefits-and-create-health-risks

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. (n.d.). Office of dietary supplements - copper. NIH Office of Dietary Supplements. https://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/Copper-HealthProfessional/

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. (n.d.). Office of dietary supplements - vitamin b6. NIH Office of Dietary Supplements. Retrieved September 9, 2021, from https://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/VitaminB6-HealthProfessional/

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. (n.d.). Office of dietary supplements - vitamin b12. NIH Office of Dietary Supplements. Retrieved September 9, 2021, from https://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/VitaminB12-Consumer/

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. (n.d.). Office of dietary supplements - vitamin c. NIH Office of Dietary Supplements. Retrieved September 9, 2021, from https://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/VitaminC-HealthProfessional/

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. (n.d.). Office of dietary supplements - vitamin d. NIH Office of Dietary Supplements. Retrieved September 9, 2021, from https://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/VitaminD-HealthProfessional/

UCSF Health. (2021, June 22). Hemoglobin and functions of ironucsfhealth.orghttps://www.ucsfhealth.org/education/hemoglobin-and-functions-of-iron

Vitamin K. The Nutrition Source. (2019, July 2). https://www.hsph.harvard.edu/nutritionsource/vitamin-k/.

 
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S1e1: Sotta