Hummus Corner: Latest Eatery on the Block

The newest addition in Lakeside Village is one owners Johnny and Carla Mattar said will please palettes for years.

, a name that especially fit after the husband-and-wife team chose their Owings Mills location, has provided a choice of classic Mediterranean dishes since mid-January.

Head chef Johnny Mattar said the secret is simple: just find the right product, the right supplier and vow to maintain quality.

That's why diners will find an assortment of traditional ingredients on his menu — from akkawi cheese to pickled turnips and white tahini —all perfectly prepared for whatever falafel, wrap, kebab or other dish they are meant for, he said.

"People crack the egg, but they don't know what it's for — how what's inside will actually work, " John Mattar said.

The ingredients-- and whether they are used properly-- is the difference between something tasting good or great, he said. That's why Mattar uses a 14 millimeter-sized chickpea for his hummus recipe rather than the typical chickpea, 9 to 10 millimeters.

Mattar has worked in the food business for 17 years, as a manager and then as a director, training a staff of 72 chefs in catering and for five-star hotels, like the  Grand Hyatt Dubai. Originally from Lebanon, he earned his bachelor's in '94 in hotel management.

"I'm happy being here," Johnny said. "I'm working for (myself) … it's my reputation."

Carla Mattar, also Lebanese, is a '93 alum of in Timonium and a '97 alum of , in Towson. The owners said they returned to the greater Baltimore area to be closer to family.

The view from the corner shop is admittedly much slower-paced than their previous life in Dubai, Carla Mattar said. As a former relationship manager for Rasmala Investment Bank, Carla said she used to trade $55 million a day on the floor with six other people when the economy was doing well.

"But that's good," Carla said, laughing. "I like it. When you're born, you never know where you're going to go."

Now, she's the first voice most people hear when visiting the shop during lunch.

"Hello, how are you?" Carla asks a customer Thursday. "What are you interested in? Want to try our hummus?"

Phillip Soloweszyk and his wife Jenny stopped by recently to try the new Mediterranean eatery and recalled the days when other businesses inhabited the corner.

The Rooster House was the last tenant in the space, Johnny Mattar said. But their success was short-lived, celebrating its own opening less than a year ago, according to the Community Times.

The Mattar's say they are hoping for success — and permanence. The eatery's lease is set for five years, they said.

Soloweszyk said he came in because of a flyer placed on his front door.

"It worked," he said. "We had to try it. This is great."

Editor's note: This article has been edited to reflect a correction.