Parkville Market’s newest vendor is also its first Mediterranean restaurant, opened recently by a couple from Jordan.
Taste Mediterranean Kitchen, which had its grand opening at the Hartford food hall Tuesday, serves classic Mediterranean fare like chicken and lamb shawarma, grape leaves, falafel gyros, pitas, baba ganoush, hummus, fries and greek salads.
“It’s a big hole that we were looking to fill,” said Matthew Sousa, vice president of operations for Parkville Market. “We never had Mediterranean cuisine before and we are very excited to bring authentic Mediterranean cuisine to Parkville Market.”
The indoor food hall has 22 vendors and is now operating at capacity, according to Sousa. The opening of Taste Mediterranean Kitchen comes after the market last summer welcomed four new vendors serving dishes from Asia, Brazil and Portugal. The market has vendors representing cuisines from around the world making it a unique experience for customers.
The Mediterranean restaurant is co-owned by Jordanian immigrants and husband-wife duo Samer Madanat and Suhad Madanat who emigrated to the United States roughly a year ago. Samer, who was a chef for over 20 years in Jordan, cooks at Taste and has brought his favorite dishes.
“It means so much to me to be here today. This is a great spot for us,” Samer said. “I used to come and visit the United States but now I’m living here and able to bring my food here. It’s a nice feeling.”
The Madanats and co-worker Moath Alawneh run Taste’s day-to-day operations while business partner Abdul Qademi manages the finances. Taste’s entire menu is halal, a designation meaning food is permissible under Islamic law due to the way the food is prepared.
“Hartford has got just about everything and we really believe in the city,” Qademi said. “We realized there is not a lot of halal options in Hartford and so we wanted to bring that here. It gives people more choice who are looking for that.”
Suhad, who emigrated to the United States with her husband, said she is proud that she is able to bring the flavors of her home country of Jordan to Hartford. Suhad and her husband Samer, both members of Grace Lutheran Church in Hartford, credited Pastor Rick Kremer for helping them work through the immigration process and be able to open up their business.
“Everything we serve here, we served exactly the same way in Jordan,” Suhad said. “We came to America because we want people to enjoy our food. We love the diversity here at Parkville Market. We have many people here from many different countries, so it’s wonderful to be able to bring our cuisine from Jordan here. America has been very good to us and we wanted to open here because we know people will love our food.”
Taste’s menu offers a diverse array of options including fresh Mediterranean salad staples like tabbouleh with parsley, tomato, cucumber, olive oil and lemon juice. Meats include chicken and lamb shawarma roasted on a slow-turning vertical spit with traditional Middle Eastern spices.
“We take pride in catering to the dietary preferences and requirements of our guests. Halal, vegetarian, vegan, keto, gluten-free, and other special dietary options are thoughtfully incorporated into our menu, ensuring that every guest can indulge in a satisfying and enjoyable dining experience. Our serious goal is to draw a smile on your face after every bite,” the restaurant said in a statement to the Courant.
Mayor Arunan Arulampalam, who held his mayoral campaign kickoff in Parkville Market in early 2023, said he was happy to hear that the market is now at full capacity.
“From day one, my administration has been committed to investing in our neighborhoods and making Hartford the easiest place to do business,” said Arulampalam said. “This is an exciting time for Hartford, and we’ll continue to support small businesses and build on the success Parkville Market has seen as a neighborhood destination.”
Parkville Market is located at 1400 Park St. and is open from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Sundays and Mondays, 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Tuesdays and Wednesdays, 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays. For more information on Taste Mediterranean Kitchen or Parkville’s other vendors visit parkvillemarket.com
Stephen Underwood can be reached at sunderwood@courant.com
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