Sittay’s Mediterranean Kitchen opens in Greensburg

For years, North Huntingdon resident Radah Ghasah dreamed of opening a restaurant.

On Monday, that dream became a reality when she oversaw the soft opening of her downtown Greensburg restaurant, Sittay’s Mediterranean Kitchen.

“Opening my own business, it was a long-life dream,” said Ghasah, who immigrated from Syria in 2000. “I worked (in the) food business for 20 years. I started as a server. I moved to kitchen management, and I started working with corporate. … I think I put myself in enough tests and I thought I had enough experience under my belt to do this.”

At 33 E. Pittsburgh St., across from the Greensburg YMCA, Sittay’s will serve traditional Syrian food, including pita wraps, salads and main dishes consisting of lamb kebabs, shrimp plates and more. The menu also features several vegetarian and gluten-free options. Weekly specials will be added to the menu after the restaurant is up and running.

Ghasah is the head chef at the restaurant. She plans to make everything fresh, including hummus that will take three days to prepare.

“The style I’m going to be using in my kitchen is exactly the same style my grandma and my mom used to cook,” Ghasah said. “Everything fresh.”

In addition to learning how to cook from her mother and grandmother, Ghasah has experience in the food service industry and most recently worked at a Pennsylvania Turnpike travel plaza, where she managed three restaurants.

“Actually, my siblings … they love my food,” she said. “They love to come over to my house, and I have one brother-in-law, always when he eats my food he says, ‘Why are you working for other people?’ ”

Work on the restaurant, the idea for which began while Ghasah and her fiance were quarantining, started in March. The interior design was completed by the duo, who created a multicolored wood-paneled accent wall that took 16 hours to install. In addition, a white brick wall features the Sittay’s name, painted by a local tattoo artist.

According to Ghasah, Monday’s soft opening was a success. She said support from the community has been “overwhelming.”

“I feel welcomed, and I (started) falling in love with this town,” Ghasah said. “It’s heartwarming.”

Sittay’s is open from 11:30 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Wednesday and from 11:30 a.m. to 8:30 p.m. Thursday through Saturday. The restaurant is closed Sunday.