Samesa, a Middle Eastern Restaurant From the Sussman Brothers, Debuts Next Week

Brothers Max and Eli Sussman are opening the first standalone location of Samesa in Williamsburg next week. Samesa — the duo’s Middle Eastern concept — was previously operating as a pop-up including stints at Berg’n, Threes Brewing, and Ruschmeyers in Montauk.

The casual space at 495 Lorimer Street in Williamsburg is broken into a market area and a dining area. The market offers candy (licorice, Swedish Fish, trail mix) and sauces like sweet chili and fish sauce. The dining area offers options like chicken shawarma, braised lamb, and fish kofta, available in a sandwich or plate. There is also a fridge in the dining area that will be filled with rotating salads, homemade sweets like tahini cocoa pudding and olive oil date cake, and a soup of the day.

The idea for Samesa first popped up in February 2015, when the recently free agent chefs (Max left The Cleaveland, and Eli Mile End) teased that they were working on a project together. "It’s inspired by what we grew up eating in Michigan," Eli told Eater last year, "where many Middle Eastern cultures blend together." Over the last year and a half, the pair tested out menu items at their various pop-ups while they looked for a place of their own.

The space is designed by the MP Shift, who also designed Tilda All Day and Chelsea Market kiosk Seed + Mill, and did the branding for Gerardo Gonzalez’s soon to open Lalo. Currently, the brothers plan to open on Monday, October 24. Take a look at the menu below, and stay tuned for more news on the opening.

• Fresh Off The Cleveland, Mile End, Sussman Brothers Plan Middle Eastern Restaurant [ENY]
• The Sussmans Find a Home for Samesa on Orchard Street [ENY]
• The Sussman's Summer Menu for Ruschmeyer's Is All Seafood and Middle Eastern Influences [ENY]