The aroma emanating from Suad’s Majles is equal parts warm and inviting. The cozily appointed space smells of spicy cinnamon, toasted nuts, roasted coffee and fresh pastries.
But no judgment if you haven’t stopped by just yet.
This little haven of culinary delights is located on the edge of downtown Fredericksburg where a loyal group of regulars — and the lucky out-of-town visitors who stumble upon it — stop in for saffron cakes, baklava croissants, giant cookies and pistachio lattes.
Owner Suad McClain hopes that Fredericksburg’s Summer Restaurant Week will help lure in new customers.
Suad McClain prepares a pastry box for a Restaurant Week customer. (Photo by Kathy Knotts)
Suad’s Majles Desserts and Coffee celebrated its first year in business in June. This is her first time participating in Summer Restaurant Week (she did Winter Restaurant Week previously). Since opening, McClain has been tickling tastebuds with her desserts, pastries, coffees and sandwiches created with the flavors of her home country of Bahrain, an island in the Persian Gulf.
Restaurant Week has been valuable for her business, she said.
“It’s been steady. And we get a lot of visitors from places like North Carolina, New York, and Maine because they are all coming by after visiting downtown,” McClain said. “And they come back here when they are visiting their kids at school or family, and they tell me they couldn’t leave without coming by to get something.”
That mix of out-of-town traffic plus a number of regular customers influenced her restaurant week offerings.
The menu includes a chicken shawarma lunch special (with a drink and choice of cookie) plus a great deal on a box of her assorted pastries.
“I created the pastry box because customers always want to try something, but say ‘It’s too much for me, I just want a taste.’ I’ve combined the favorites, like our basbossa, in one box so they can share and have a chance to try something new instead of paying for each one individually. And I’m always flexible if I don’t have something they want. I can add another item to the box.”
Chicken shawarma at Suad’s. (Photo courtesy Visit FXBG)
Middle Eastern and Arabian flavors combine in McClain’s creations. Baklava, known primarily as a Greek or Turkish treat gets a tweak at Suad’s Majles (majles is living or sitting room in Arabic).
“The flavors trickle down (from Greece) to the mid-Arabian Gulf where Bahrain is. We have the same basic recipe, but we use different ingredients depending on our region. So, we use lots of rose water and lots of pistachios. In baklava, we still use the walnut stuffing but sometimes we switch it up and use dates or pistachio,” McClain said. “But not as much honey. We like to balance it out and it’s not huge, big portions. I don’t do big. Trust me, it’s enough because it is filling.”
Any restaurant or food establishment within the 22401 zip code can participate, and the Fredericksburg Economic Development and Tourism office sends out invites about six to eight weeks ahead of time. For 10 days, over 30 businesses offer curated menus and dishes — often at a special price. It’s a great chance for diners to sample an establishment they haven’t experienced or to have a budget-friendly night out.
Diners can pick up a Restaurant Week passport at the Fredericksburg Visitor’s Center and collect stamps from five participating businesses for a chance to win gift cards. Restaurant Week ends Aug. 4 (but some businesses will extend their specials beyond that).
“Fredericksburg Summer Restaurant Week is a celebration of our city’s thriving culinary community,” said Danelle Rose, the city’s Tourism Communications and Marketing Manager. “We’re excited to showcase the creativity and passion of our local chefs and provide residents and visitors with an extraordinary dining experience.
Rehana’s is a veteran-owned restaurant with a diverse menu of Indian, Asian and American-inspired food and craft cocktails. The restaurant, a first-time Restaurant Week participant, is quickly becoming known for its creative events and cigar nights held on a private patio.
“We love the opportunity to participate in Restaurant Week and introduce our hyper-local menu,” said owner Huda Maltbie. “We have a garden out back and we source from local farms and fishermen. Our menu is informed based on the availability of foods.”
Rehana’s customers compare the experience to having dinner at a friend’s house.
“Our menu and our vibe as the gathering place is what brings people in,” Maltbie said.
What keeps people coming back is the inventive menu, inspired by Huda’s mother Rehana, who left India as a young woman and eventually opened her own restaurant. (Note that they are only open Thursdays through Sundays, evening hours.)
Rehana’s Restaurant Week lunch menu includes their take on beef on weck.
“This is a tweaked rendition of a sandwich which is a favorite in Western New York, where my husband hails from,” Maltbie said. “On our dinner menu, we have traditional chicken biryani, which is a layered rice dish with the full flavors of a house blend of spices, almonds, golden raisins, and saffron.”
It’s not just food being highlighted. Ironclad Inn & Bourbon Tasting Room joined the Restaurant Week lineup this year. This tasting room in the former Kenmore Inn is offering its house old-fashioned for just $5.
“We’re actually like a perfect pre-dinner place,” said Ironclad co-owner Kara King.
Ironclad opened in April and according to King, business has been steady.
“It just gets busier and busier every week,” she said. “So we’re really thankful the word’s been spreading. It’s been really good.”
As a tasting room, Ironclad can only pour three ounces per person daily, making it an ideal starting point for a restaurant week adventure — or a nightcap after dinner out.
“You’re really just coming in for a little tipple before (or after) you hit the town and get those deals,” King said.
Ironclad Inn offers $5 house old-fashioneds during Restaurant Week. (Photo courtesy Ironclad Inn)
Ironclad is open Wednesdays through Saturdays, 1 p.m. to 8 p.m., and does offer light appetizers. Live music has kicked off at the Inn on the first Wednesday of the month, said King, and the drink special will be available during those evenings.
Breweries and food organizations became part of the city’s restaurant week plans in 2020 during the pandemic.
“We asked restaurants if they still wanted to do a restaurant week and they said ‘Yes!’ At the time, people couldn’t dine-in so we put a little spin on things and did take-out style restaurant week,” Rose said. “It was perfect to include breweries, bakeries and quick-serve establishments. It was so successful for those businesses that they have continued to participate.”
Rose says she hears positive feedback from both diners and restaurants. The city doesn’t doesn’t ask for sales numbers, instead asking restaurants to track their plate counts, said Rose. Last summer, restaurants sold over 6,000 Restaurant Week specials.
“We are hoping that this year will beat that,” she said.
