Syracuse, N.Y. — A Middle Eastern restaurant in the heart of Eastwood closed abruptly about a month ago, leaving its fans wondering what happened and what might replace it.
The answer to the second question is … another Middle Eastern restaurant.
Sinbad Restaurant occupied the spot at 2727 James St. from its opening in 2019 until early December.
Sinbad owner Assad Almajid moved out of town, said Steve Skinner, who owns the building.
Owner Assad Almajid opened Sinbad Restaurant in 2019, specializing in Middle Eastern cuisine. He grew up in Damascus and was granted asylum in the United States during the civil war in Syria. (Katrina Tulloch | ktulloch@syracuse.com)
But the space won’t be empty long. A new Middle Eastern restaurant called Pomegranate Lounge is expected to open by February or March.
Pomegranate owner Mohammed Alziyadi said the new place will offer a menu that is “similar” to the one at Sinbad, which served cuisine from Syria (Almajid’s homeland), Lebanon, Turkey and Morrocco.
Sinbad was also known for its “stretchy” ice cream.
Alziyadi is still working out the menu details, but Pomegranate will still serve both dine-in and take-out customers. Like Sinbad, it will not serve alcohol.
Before Sinbad opened, the building had been the longtime home of the East Room bar.
“It’s great to be getting something back in there soon,” Skinner said. “It’s great for Eastwood.”
Don Cazentre writes for NYup.com, syracuse.com and The Post-Standard. Reach him at dcazentre@nyup.com, or follow him at NYup.com, on Twitter or Facebook.
Owner Assad Almajid opened Sinbad Restaurant in 2019, specializing in Middle Eastern cuisine. He grew up in Damascus and was granted asylum in the United States during the civil war in Syria. (Katrina Tulloch | ktulloch@syracuse.com)