NAYA

Naya, a Spin-off of a New York City Lebanese Restaurant, Heads to Rittenhouse | Eater Philly

"A fast-casual spin-off of a chic Lebanese restaurant in New York is heading to Rittenhouse at 1601 Market Street (formerly Noon Mediterranean), slated to open at the end of May. Originally called Naya Express before a rebranding, the concept already runs four quick-serve locations plus the original sit-down Naya Mezze & Grill at 1057 Second Avenue, and this Philly spot is its first venture outside New York. The casual mini-chain offers build-your-own white or whole wheat pita sandwiches, rice or freekeh bowls, and salads with choices like beef or chicken shawarma, falafel, roasted cauliflower, hummus, pickles, and garlic whip, plus a selection of wraps (called rolls) made with paper-thin pita. Other menu items include kibbeh—fried dumplings made here with beef or a vegan pumpkin mixture—and man’oushe, the Lebanese flatbread (offered with za’atar or jebneh, a white cheese similar to haloumi and a crowd favorite at Suraya), along with fattoush, labneh, baba ghanoush, grape leaves, and desserts such as baklava or namoura. Naya will be open weekdays from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. and closed weekends, positioning it more as a lunch spot or a place to pick up dinner on the way home from work; nearby Cava, which opened in January, offers some menu overlap." - Rachel Vigoda