CH PROJECTS IS BRINGING A FAITHFUL TAKE ON MIDDLE EASTERN FOOD TO 30TH STREET

The follow-up to CH Projects’ blockbuster restoration of the Lafayette Hotel is a quieter but no less ambitious project that is particularly meaningful for the local hospitality group’s co-founder, Arsalun Tafazoli. Scheduled to open later this summer in North Park, Leila is a Middle Eastern restaurant that’s also a personal declaration of culture and family for Tafazoli.

Acknowledging that they are bringing this restaurant forth at a wrenching time in the Middle East, Tafazoli says he hopes Leila will showcase the region’s cuisines in a way that highlights their unifying similarities. And, having lived in Iran with his parents during several of his formative years, he’s excited to share some favorite foods that he grew up eating including tahdig, a saffron-infused Persian rice dish with a crisp, golden crust that might be served with stewed and braised meat. Reflecting the variety of restaurants that can be found in the East County communities of El Cajon, the menu will include Israeli, Iranian, and Lebanese dishes along with some Moroccan influences and a serious bread program.

After an extensive search, the group has signed Wesley Remington Johnson as Leila’s executive chef. Johnson, who worked at the James Beard Award-winning Zahav in Philadelphia and trained with Michael Solomonov at Marigold Kitchen, is relocating to San Diego from Portland where he cooked at the James Beard-nominated Castagna and was most recently the culinary director at Submarine Hospitality, helping to open Tusk and overseeing three of the group’s other restaurants. Johnson is being joined in the Leila kitchen by chef Justin Ayoub, an alum of the Culinary Institute of America who spent time in the Munchies Test Kitchen at VICE. And returning is Leigh Lecap, a legendary bar pro who spent four years with CH Projects before moving on to work at notable spots like Jeune et Jolie, Waverly, and Frankie’s.

Tafazoli spent three weeks in Morocco while researching the design for the 4,800-square-foot, nearly 100-seat restaurant, sourcing all of its light fixtures from the souks of Marrakesh. The custom bar features terracotta pillars and tiles inspired by sacred sites that he visited and the space will be filled with an eclectic mix of artwork from craftspeople of the region.

2024-05-07T16:39:39Z dg43tfdfdgfd