A Fond Farewell to a Phoenicia Kitchen Icon

After nearly three decades in the kitchen at Phoenicia Restaurant, Najat Shaia is beginning a new chapter—one that will include more time with her children and grandchildren, along with opportunities to travel and enjoy life outside the restaurant.

In a heartfelt tribute, Phoenicia owner Samy Eid reflects on Najat’s lasting impact on the Birmingham restaurant and the generations of family and staff she helped nurture along the way. An immigrant from Iraq, Najat became one of Phoenicia’s “yummas.”

For Samy, Najat’s departure is about more than losing a longtime employee. Her nearly 30 years at Phoenicia connected her to his late father, Sameer, and to the restaurant’s history. Through her cooking, leadership, humor, and unmistakable personality, Najat helped make Phoenicia what it is today. Though she has stepped away from the kitchen, her influence—and the memories she created—will remain part of the restaurant’s story.

Read the whole tribute here: https://loom.ly/vs7Yes8.