Lake Norman’s Restaurant X is rebranding to new name, concept after more than a decade
Restaurant X has been a staple spot in Davidson for more than a decade, offering a selection of Mediterranean, European and American cuisine. But on the afternoon of March 4, the bistro will shift in a new direction that expands on its owner’s Middle Eastern heritage and reflects customers’ growing interest in those flavors.
“It’s time to kind of give the restaurant a facelift,” said executive chef and owner Nazira Atmé, whose French and Lebanese background led her to study in Switzerland and work in restaurants in Canada. That global experience came together when she landed in Lake Norman and purchased Restaurant X in 2014.
“We love being in Davidson. We love the town, we love everybody,” she told CharlotteFive.
In the past few years, Atmé and her team — which includes her son and general manager Perry Camacho, and sous chef George Sapphire — have leaned into to Mediterranean menu items and found them popular with customers.
“It’s fresh, it’s healthy, it’s different. So I added Lebanese dishes on the menu, and it became a huge hit — more than we expected. So we sat down and started planning on rebranding,” Atmé said.
Lebanese food
At 12:30 p.m. March 4, the restaurant’s transition to become Habibi Lebanon will be complete, and it will open for lunch and dinner service. Atmé explained that habibi means “my beloved, my love — something that’s very precious to you.
“Our team is not going away — it’s still us. It’s the same people, just the name is changing. ... We want people to come and enjoy the new atmosphere, she said.
The new concept will focus on Lebanese cuisine “with a small window for favorites” from the current menu, she said. But the Lebanese food that Restaurant X is already serving has had customers craving more.
On Habibi Lebanon’s menu, diners will find mezze such as hummus, baba ghanoush, tzatziki, falafel and stuffed grape leaves, along with new items:
- Kibbeh Nayeh (Lebanese steak tartare)
- Traditional Lebanese stews
- Famous Lebanese pies (zaatar, cheese and sfiha, a meat pie)
- Sambousik (meat and cheese)
- Shawarma beef and chicken
The beverage program plans to highlight Lebanese coffee, with wine and beer imported from Lebanon, as well. Arak, an anise-flavored Middle Eastern liquor, will show up on the cocktail menu.
Lebanese desserts will be found on the menu, too:
- Baklava
- Katayef (mini pancakes filled with homemade clotted cream, garnished with pistachios and topped with simple syrup.)
- Knafeh (melted cheese and pastry dough, topped with a house-made simple syrup and chopped pistachios).
A bite of Restaurant X
“For the last 6-8-9 months, our even regular customers have been saying we need to change the name. Newcomers have said they’d never guess Restaurant X would serve Lebanese cuisine,” Atmé said.
But a few items from the current menu will stick around. Restaurant X items that will carry on include:
- Jurassic Pork Chop
- Grilled Norwegian Salmon
- Seared Ahi Tuna
- CLT Burger
- BLT Burger
- Tuscan Chicken Burger
- Bourbon Salmon Burger.
After the transition to Habibi Lebanon, the restaurant will also offer a Lebanese catering menu for traditional feasts with exclusive dishes such as mansaf, a spiced rice dish layered with meat.
“We’re very proud about our project. It took time, but we’re bringing that cuisine here. We’re going to kind of make it signature, and no one in Charlotte has Lebanese food like this, A-Z,” Atmé said.
Restaurant X Bistro/Habibi Lebanon
Location: 408 S Main St, Davidson, NC 28036
Cuisine: Mediterranean, Middle Eastern, Lebanese
Instagram: @restaurantxbistro
This story was originally published January 16, 2024 at 5:30 AM.
