Lebanese cook to serve hummus, baklava and other treats at Campbell Avenue restaurant

A restaurateur who comes from a long line of Lebanese cooks plans to open his own lunch spot on Campbell Avenue in downtown Roanoke.

Daniel Melki aims to open Hummus House on Feb. 27. The restaurant will be in the same Crystal Tower building space that has housed several other eateries in the past, most recently Chance & Maddie's.

Melki, 28, said he'll serve such Lebanese specialties as pita wraps, tabbouleh salad, hummus, falafel, kibbe, stuffed grape leaves and baklava.

Melki said he is not too concerned that previous restaurants did not succeed in that spot because they had simple burgers-and-fries menus. He knows that the Lebanese Festival at St. Elias church in Roanoke has become hugely popular and thinks Lebanese cuisine is something people crave.