New in North Naples: Chef returns to Collier to open modern Med, kosher-ish restaurant
Chef Shaaban “Shabo” Emara’s new Shabo’s Bistro, serving modern Mediterranean with a dash of contemporary American fare, opened at Pebblebrook Center in late November, replacing Gino’s Trattoria Per Tutti.
It’s also kosheresque; not in a deli-way, but high-end fine dining amid simple décor. Dinner entrees average $32, ranging from $17 for cheese ravioli to $46 for prime ribeye.
Emara’s focus is freshness “to hunt what I want.” He procures the restaurant’s proteins, produce and herbs by heading to local markets daily, leaving his home at 6 a.m. to drive points north and east.
He believes most suppliers push what’s on hand, which doesn’t correspond to what he does.
From Cairo to Collier Boulevard
Emara’s dad was a chef at the Cairo Hilton and discouraged his son from following in his footsteps.
Instead, Shabo surprised him by enrolling in the Hilton’s culinary school which only “accepts 12 students every two years.”
After graduating at the top of his class at 21, he hosted “Beit Sharif,” a cooking show on Egyptian TV, demonstrating to viewers how to prepare food from Italy, France, Russia, Japan and more, all the cuisines he learned in school.
Shabo then moved from the Hilton to work at JW Marriott’s Cairo hotel as chef de partie.
Marriott management next sent him to Marco Island where he worked for three years and met his wife.
The couple decided to move to Miami, where his first cheffing position was Urban Café for a year, a kosher restaurant co-founded by a Jewish Moroccan friend.
He then opened Shabo’s BBQ in 2014, a Mediterranean-kosher grill with mostly five-star TripAdvisor reviews in downtown Hollywood, Florida, next to the Hard Rock Casino.
When I asked Shabo if he is Jewish, he replied, “The funny part is that I've become the favorite Egyptian chef for Jewish people,” something he attributes to Hollywood’s mayor Josh Levy, whom Emara considers his best friend.
Via email, Levy added, “Shabo’s was one of the best restaurants in Hollywood and a personal favorite of mine. Naples is so lucky to be its new home.”
Why the move?
After Emara’s 10-year-old son’s Broward County school received two bomb threats, the couple decided to return to Collier County. Ironically, on my way to the restaurant to meet Emara on Dec. 1, Naples High School was on lockdown with a similar situation later confirmed to be a hoax.
Kosher-ish
Excluding a smattering of shellfish dishes, Shabo’s ingredients going into the gourmet fare are kosher-style but not rabbinically certified. Bacon at brunch is beef belly. Cheese alternatives for burgers and sandwiches are available upon request. He personally observes the meat-dairy dietary rule, believing the combination is unhealthy.
There is no pork in the restaurant, though there is a full bar; happy hour too from 3 to 5 p.m.
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He is obsessed with working out and nutrition, paying attention to every ingredient he ingests and those he cooks for guests. A growing focus is fresh-caught seafood.
Daily hours: Brunch from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.; lunch from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.; dinner from 5 to 10 p.m. Three-course early bird before 5 p.m. is $40. Open Christmas Eve and Christmas Day.
(15215 Collier Blvd., Naples; 239-354-9955; shabosbistro.com)
This article originally appeared on Naples Daily News: New North Naples restaurant: Hollywood, Fla., TV chef back in town
