Martha Stewart cooking show features Utah restaurant owner

MILLCREEK, Utah (ABC4) — Founder and owner of Rawtopia, Omar Abou-Ismail, is passionate about organic, flavorful food and healthy living.

Recently, he was on the show “Martha Cooks” and shared that passion with renowned chef and TV host Martha Stewart.

The Story of Rawtopia

Abou-Ismail moved to the U.S. from Lebanon when he was 17. He later earned his Bachelor of Science Degree in Geophysics in 2002 and worked in his field of study for years. When his father passed away from cancer, it ignited a flame in Abou-Ismail to follow his passion and begin his business in 2005.

Through supporting organic and regenerative agricultural practices, Abou-Ismail hopes to help people discover delicious and healthy food, while giving back to the planet and contributing to an eco-friendly environment.

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“We are from this earth. Every atom of our being is made from this planet … If the environment isn’t healthy, then we’re not healthy,” he said. “…We are definitely part of this earth and part of nature, and we need to take care of nature.”

Abou-Ismail said he hopes to inspire people to create a healthier environment for future generations.

“Let’s take care of the planet. Let’s take care of our bodies, and let’s be more conscientious about these things,” he said.

The food at Rawtopia, Abou-Ismail said, is all made from scratch, and he’ll often visit Utah’s farmer’s markets to pick up fresh produce. He also said he sources wild meat, such as bison, salmon and cod from local farmers who follow healthy farming practices.

Rawtopia has been running for about two decades now, starting in a small, hole-in-the-wall spot in Sugar House and moving several times before finding its third and current home in Olympus Hills Shopping Center.

The restaurant is also family-oriented. Abou-Ismail and his mother, Jinan, cook and work together to create recipes that follow the vision of Rawtopia.

“She’s always helped me since the get-go, since the beginning, and we come up with cool recipes and we do all the traditional foods that we know, but in a healthier way,” he said. “I have a lot of knowledge about food from my mother, and she has a lot of knowledge from her grandmother. It’s kind of like old ways of cooking. It’s very sustainable and it utilizes the abundance of the summer crops that we have in Utah,” he said.

‘Martha Cooks’ experience

Abou-Ismail’s episode on “Martha Cooks” aired Monday, May 20, on the Roku channel. The menu included bean-free hummus, tangy Lebanese tabouli, miso soup and sweet potato fries.

Abou-Ismail said that his hummus is unique in that it’s not made with garbanzo beans, but rather, sprouted sunflower seeds and almonds.

In the segment, which you can see a preview of on Instagram, he topped the hummus with tomatoes, bell peppers, mint, cucumber, parsley and a drizzle of olive oil before placing it in a red cabbage leaf and serving it to Stewart.

Abou-Ismail said the tabouli salad he made is a famous Lebanese dish, describing it as a “garden in your mouth.”

The miso soup, he said, is made with high-quality miso, and cooked in a way to preserve its nutrients and probiotics.

Last but not least, he also prepared sweet potato fries, served with a fry sauce made from cashews, dried tomatoes, chipotle, lemon and vinegar.

The story of Rawtopia and “Martha Cooks” goes back to a year ago, when Stewart came by for a surprise visit, enjoying the dishes she tried so much that she later requested Abou-Ismail bring them to the show.

“She was mesmerized by the food … She was like, ‘This kind of restaurant should be in Vegas, it should be in New York, it should be here and it should be there’… she was just raving about it and taking pictures. Just loved it so much,” he said. “I told her, ‘This restaurant, honestly, the kind of food I create is really from me … I don’t imitate people, I don’t imitate things, other restaurants. It really comes from my heart.’”

Three days after her visit, Abou-Ismail received a call from Stewart’s producers, saying she couldn’t stop talking about the food at Rawtopia and that she wanted him on the show.

In April 2023, Abou-Ismail went to New York and spent a whole day preparing food and recording the segment. Afterward, he said Stewart showed him her property, her plants and greenhouse; the two even shared a coffee together as Stewart gave him advice for the restaurant business.

“It’s just really beautiful to spend time with her. She’s really a remarkable person,” he said. “I felt very blessed and lucky to be with her. She’s just runs an empire, so I was glad she took the time to spend time with me and to get to know me and and to get to feature my food, because I always felt kind of an oddball.”

Abou-Ismail said being recognized by Martha Stewart has filled him with gratitude, adding that the two of them share a passion for gardening and organic foods.

“I’ve definitely struggled in my life a lot and I always felt like I was fighting the masses because I’m so unique. I really felt extremely grateful because I felt like someone sees me and sees what I’m trying to do and honors me and respects me,” he said.

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