Let’s Go Kabobbin’! – Sidon Lebanese Grille & Bakery

February 1, 2016

Sidon Lebanese Grille & Bakery
4625 W. Bancroft St. Toledo 43615
419-558-3900
Mon-Thur: 8am-9pm | Fri-Sat: 8am-10pm | Sun: 8am-8pm

The Short Course

Kid-friendly: Yes
To avoid wait: Go anytime
Noise level: Moderate
Bathroom amenities: Clean but no changing station
High chairs? Yes
Got milk? Yes and a selection of bottled juices
Kids’ menu? Yes
Food allergy concerns? Always make them aware prior to ordering; no dairy or nuts are on the line and they do not use peanut oil

Though it may be the time of year to grab your toboggan, the kids and I are off to go kabobbin’! As we continue to eat our way around town, we were delighted to discover a new Lebanese restaurant that’s not only authentically delicious but also family friendly and affordable. And they are open for breakfast, too! It was love at first bite.

Local family brings the taste of Lebanon to Toledo

There are several Lebanese restaurants in the area, each a bit unique in their own way. The new Sidon Lebanese Grille and Bakery is no exception. Named after the third largest city in Lebanon, it recently opened in November on Bancroft Street between Talmadge and Reynolds roads. Father and son owners, Mahmoud and Bahaa Hariri, opened the Grille beside their new location of Middle East Market. The mid-sized market, loaded with fresh meats, cheeses, produce, deli offerings and dry goods, is conveniently located next to the restaurant.

Bahaa Hariri, Mahmoud’s son and husband of Toledo Parent editor, Nadine, was born in Toledo. He and his family moved back to Lebanon for many years before returning here where they call home, according to Bahaa. After owning Middle East Market (formerly on Dorr near Reynolds) for many years, the family recognized the potential for a successful restaurant, and opened Sidon as a way to offer customers much more than the market’s deli counter.

Fast casual and comfortable

Sidon incorporates the fast casual concept of dining where you order your meal at the counter, seat yourself, and your food is delivered to your table. Noticing we were newbies and a bit intimidated by the menu, friendly employees were patient and helpful in guiding our dining decisions.

They offer a variety of kids’ menu items at reasonable prices, but my boys were having none of that. They wanted to try a bit of everything just like me! Eventually we ordered and then seated ourselves at a table in the dining area, which my teen described as “rustic chic.” We helped ourselves to a pitcher of water and bottled juice and milk are also available for your children. There are plans to debut a juice bar at the front of the restaurant in the near future as well.

Stone fire oven heats things up

Clearly one of the main features that sets Sidon apart from other Lebanese restaurants is their stone-fire oven. Just as bread is prepared in Lebanon in stone-fire ovens, the Lebanese pizzas called manakeesh and their pita bread is made the same way. “We’ve gotten great feedback on the taste of our fresh bread and manakeesh, diners can taste the difference,” said Bahaa.

Their varieties of kabobs are grilled on a natural charcoal barbeque. We began dinner with two of their 15 choices of manakeesh. The cheese manakeesh is prepared with Akawi cheese. It’s a white brine cheese with origins in the Middle East. It was a sure fire hit with my bunch. The pizzas are another affordable option for the younger set.

The menu offers eight varieties of pita sandwiches, burgers, and 11 choices of kabob dinners. Fatayer (pastries filled with cheese, meat or vegetables) and authentic breakfast items are also on the menu. Between the four of us, we gobbled up shish tawook and shish kafta kabobs. The charcoal-fired flavor was outstanding! The boys devoured a shish tawook pita sandwich and a Lebanese burger served with cole slaw and fresh-cut fries right on the sandwich! The portions were plentiful, leaving us with enough to enjoy leftovers the following day. As the parent of three growing children with ravenous appetites, I was pleased at the amount of high quality, authentic food we shared together without breaking the bank.

Unlike many restaurants, they keep prices reasonable by offering fries as an add-on. Often times two servings of fries between us are ample, and I would prefer saving the extra money or spending it on additional appetizers.

Bottom Line: The unique stone fire oven and natural charcoal barbeque will win over your taste buds with your first bite. Sidon’s inviting atmosphere, as well as its friendly service, are additional reasons to stop in with the family. From adventurous options to chicken nuggets, there is sure to be something pleasing for the younger set.

Karen Zickes is a mom of three active children and freelance writer who resides in Holland, OH. She can be reached in c/o [email protected].

Finding Success

Laura Blair

February 1, 2016

When Chancelar Lucas was about two years old, his mother, Amber Barlowe, noticed that his speech was delayed. When his pediatrician dismissed her concerns, Amber started researching on her own. It took two more years and several other doctors to put a name on Chance’s speech and motor difficulties: dyspraxia and childhood apraxia of speech.

Dyspraxia is a neurological disorder that affects a person’s fine motor skills, short-term memory and cognitive processing ability. Like autism, dyspraxia, a brain-based condition that makes it hard to plan and coordinate physical movement, is a life-long condition that affects each person differently. Childhood apraxia of speech is a disorder where the brain can’t properly control the muscles of the mouth, lips and tongue to produce clear speech. Actor Daniel Radcliffe has spoken publicly for years about his dyspraxia diagnosis, and MMA fighter Ronda Rousey has announced that she had apraxia.

Trust your instincts

Now six years old, Chance has improved motor skills and speech as a result of four years of occupational and speech therapy. He still gets frustrated and discouraged, but now he has a network of support due to Amber’s diligence in finding a diagnosis. Her advice to parents who have medical concerns that are dismissed is to trust your instincts, do research and be the advocate for your child so the system doesn’t fail him or her.

Every child has areas of success as well as areas where they need improvement, and Chance is no different. While he struggles with fine motor skills associated with eating, holding a pencil and fastening buttons, he has control over his large muscle groups. At four, Chance was riding a bike without training wheels, and this past summer, he started riding dirt bikes in a competitive league at Delta MotorSports Park. While he didn’t win every race he entered, he earned a trophy by finishing the season in first place overall.

“It’s difficult because we don’t want to treat him differently,” said Amber. “We want him to know he can do anything, so we don’t want him to have different expectations.”

For more information on and support for individuals with apraxia
and other hidden disorders, visit NWO Apraxia Support at nwoapraxiasupport.org

Kids dental health with Drs. Jennifer Zoll and Erin Knierim

Digital Media

February 1, 2016

How should parents handle children who are afraid of visiting the dentist?

A lot depends on why the child is anxious. Many times children are afraid of the unknown and need reassurance that they are in a safe place and we are here to help them. Establishing a dental friendly home early on helps children to get comfortable in the dental office so that it is a familiar place. Positive experiences at a young age can help set your child up for a lifetime of good oral health and less anxiety about visiting the dentist.

How early should parents take their children to the dentist?

The American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry recommends that a child see the dentist for their first visit by 12 months of age, or 6 months after the first tooth erupts, whichever is earlier. You can also bring them in earlier if the parent or physician has a concern. At the first visit expect to discuss your child’s diet, oral hygiene, habits that may affect dental health, the use of fluoride, their dental development and prevention of dental injuries.

How does thumb sucking affect alignment?

Habits such as thumb sucking apply forces to the teeth and bones. Prolonged habits can be associated with changes like narrowing of the upper jaw, flaring of the top front teeth, space developing between the top and bottom front teeth so the child can't bite the front teeth together (open bite) and posterior crossbite.

When should parents teach children to start flossing?

Flossing should begin as soon as the sides of the teeth start to touch. For younger children flossing is best accomplished by the parent. For older children, model flossing for them, then observe their technique and give feedback until you are confident they have the hand skills to floss on their own.

Jennifer L. Zoll, DDS, 3036 West Sylvania, Toledo
419-474-0733 | www.drzoll.com

When Your Child Fails

Digital Media

February 1, 2016

Your son tried out for the junior high basketball team and didn’t make it. Your daughter wanted a part in her school play, but wasn’t chosen. What can you teach your children through the inevitable disappointments and failures of life?

Talk About It
When the time is right, it pays to face disappointments and failures head-on. A “Here is what you wanted, but this is the reality” kind of talk. Sometimes there will be tangled feelings when a disappointment comes such as blaming others for the situation or expressing self-deprecations like “I can’t do anything right.” It’s helpful for your child to vent frustration when the feelings are raw and painful, but then guide the discussion to a more positive place.

It Hurts

Allow some time to explore the sadness and pain of a big disappointment or a performance blunder. Sometimes there is a period of “mourning the loss” when your child had his heart set on a certain task or role and failed to achieve it. If the failure was due to lack of preparation, there will also follow a period of analysis of the situation.

The Role of Mistakes

Beyond the disappointment of one traumatic life experience looms a much larger truth. Making mistakes is an essential part of learning. No one thinks of that process as a series of failures. Rather, we realize the child has to practice before attaining success. And that principle can be applied to nearly everything we learn in life.

Every classroom teacher has students who are afraid to make a mistake. They want to be perfect the first time. But learning doesn’t happen that way. Even top students must learn to try something, check for success, learn from errors and move on to try again. Children need to learn to tolerate a level of risk that allows them to try, fail and try again. This is a learning cycle that applies to nearly every subject area and to every character-building life experience.

Parents are instrumental in helping their children learn the skills necessary to deal with the disappointments and failures we all experience in life. Choose the positive outlook that mistakes, errors and failures are just one part of learning any new skill. They’re just a link in the chain of achieving success. Your support and positive attitude toward this learning cycle will set the tone for your child’s future successes.

Art Classes for “Young Picassos”

Christine A. Holliday

February 1, 2016

Spanish artist Pablo Picasso started creating artwork as a very young child, and your child can too. Teacher Elaine Scarvelis offers “Little Picasso” art classes at the Toledo Artists Club, introducing children ages 6-18 to working with pencil, colored pencil, oil pastels, watercolors and pastels. Mixed media classes meet from 10-11am Saturdays, and Advanced classes on Wednesdays from 4-5pm during the school year, with summer camp in July to extend the fun and creativity. The Club’s location at Toledo Botanical Gardens allows outdoor classes when weather permits, and students exhibit their work at a public show and reception in February.

Toledo Botanical Gargens, 5403 Elmer Dr.
Scarvelis invites inquiries about the classes at 419 841-8153
$7/hour
419 531-4079 | www.toledoartistclub.com

Keep young dancers in tip top condition at Toledo Ballet

Christine A. Holliday

February 1, 2016

Do your kids need an outlet for their winter energy? The classes at Toledo Ballet can help with their spring class sessions that run through early June. Preschoolers can enjoy six-week enrichment sessions (with dance instruction, storytime and /or crafts, plus a mini-performance) or Creative Movement classes (pre-ballet, tap and jazz). Older students have lots of choices including hip hop, tap, jazz, fusion, musical theater, even ballroom dance lessons, and children with Down Syndrome will have fun in Adaptive Dance classes. Pilates, Yoga, Zumba, and RTX classes will keep young dancers in tip top condition.

5327 Monroe St. (near Hobby Lobby)
419 471-0049 | www.toledoballet.net/register-for-spring-classes

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