Charleston church announces details of annual Middle Eastern dinner

Volunteers prepare Lebanese food at a previous St. George Orthodox Church annual dinner. This year’s meal takes place Oct. 27 from 12-6 p.m.Photo bySt. George Orthodox Cathedral

CHARLESTON, W.Va. -- Come all who hunger for Lebanese cuisine, and St. George Orthodox Cathedral will give you your fill.

That’s the message the volunteers at the Antiochian Orthodox Church in downtown Charleston herald as they spread the announcment of their upcoming community dinner.

The annual event, a longstanding tradition in the capital city – “We’ve been doing this for 80, 85 years,” one volunteer told a local television station in 2021 – is set this year for Sunday, Oct. 27, from 12-6 p.m. And while it’s more than a month away, it’s never too soon to mark your calendars, organizers say.

A flyer for this year’s Annual Dinner features a menu of Lebanese foods.Photo bySt. George Orthodox Cathedral

“Come and enjoy some delicious homemade Lebanese food,” volunteers wrote in a social media post announcing this year’s dinner.

The dinner, which takes place at the church’s conference center at the corner of Court Street and Lee Street in downtown Charleston, features a menu of popular Mediterranean dishes. Each meal costs $20 per person and includes:

• Kibbee, a ground meat and wheat mixture fried in round patties;
• Yabrah, a type of grape leaf or cabbage roll;
• Loobia Bunadoora, a dish made with green beans in tomato sauce;
• Rooz’b Shareeyee, or buttered rice with orzo;
• A salad with oil and lemon dressing; and
• Baklava, a dessert made with layers of phyllo dough and nuts.

Pita bread, coffee and iced tea will also be available. All foods are prepared and served by volunteer church members.

St. George Orthodox Cathedral, seen here, is located at 190 Court St. in Charleston, across from the Town Center mall.Photo bySt. George Orthodox Cathedral

Community members may eat their meals at the church’s conference center, and tours of the cathedral’s sanctuary will be hosted throughout the day. Carry-out orders are also welcome, organizers said, and ethnic groceries will be available for purchase on the lower level of the conference center.

Proceeds from the dinner support the church's needs. Monies may also be used for various charitable projects.

More information on the October 27 St. George Orthodox Cathedral Annual Dinner is available on Facebook. Those with questions may call 304-346-0106.

Michael Ramsburg is a Kanawha County communities reporter. He can be reached at ramsburgreports@gmail.com or by calling 304-370-3067.