From Syria to New Haven: Artist’s salon bridges divides

Customers enjoy coffee and Middle Eastern-inspired food at the newly-opened Pistachio in New Haven, Connecticut. Sophie Tremblay / The National

Mohamad Hafez glides behind the long sleek bar of his newly opened cafe, Pistachio, almost like he’s performing a choreographed dance.

The architect-turned-artist-turned-cafe-owner is charming customers and taking orders.

'We’re all about maintaining peace in the home,' he jokes to one couple who can’t decide which baklava to try. 'One thing about the Middle East is we want to keep the peace.'

Customers enjoy coffee and Middle Eastern-inspired food at the newly-opened Pistachio in New Haven, Connecticut. Sophie Tremblay / The National

Customers enjoy coffee and Middle Eastern-inspired food at the newly-opened Pistachio in New Haven, Connecticut. Sophie Tremblay / The National

The Syrian-American is best known for the stunning miniature worlds he creates in sculpture that depict the suffering of his homeland. The twisted concrete and Medusa-like tangle of electrical cords and rebar transport audiences to the harsh reality of the nearly decade-long Syrian civil war.

But his latest venture, a small Middle Eastern-style cafe in a leafy neighbourhood of New Haven, Connecticut, transports customers to a completely different Syria, the one Mohamad remembers from childhood and for which he longs. 

“It’s about how can I give someone the experience of hosting them in my domicile, my salon without actually taking them back to Syria,” the moustachioed Mohamad tells The National. “A lot of these architectural details you see here, the old radios, the mosaic tables, I grew up around these things.”

A hand-carved Syrian table and antique radio in Pistachio’s majlis-style dining room. Sophie Tremblay / The National 

A hand-carved Syrian table and antique radio in Pistachio’s majlis-style dining room. Sophie Tremblay / The National 

The cosy space is filled with hand-carved furniture from Italy, ornate rugs and an eclectic collection of knick-knacks, creating the feeling of an upper-middle-class home in Damascus or Beirut.

“The chairs look like chairs that my mom has in her guest room,” says Gathe Kiwan, a Syrian-American medical student at nearby Yale University.  

Mr Kiwan was so taken with the cafe on his first visit that he came back with several friends.

“The coffee really tastes like how they prepare it in the Middle East, and I like to share that with my non-Syrian friends,” Mr Kiwan says.

Gathe Kiwan, originally from Syria, likes to bring his non-Arab friends to discover Middle Eastern food at Pistachio. Sophie Tremblay / The National

Gathe Kiwan, originally from Syria, likes to bring his non-Arab friends to discover Middle Eastern food at Pistachio. Sophie Tremblay / The National

But it’s not just other Arab-Americans who find familiarity in the cafe. A couple from Idaho sitting a table away are busy admiring the wall of old radios. “My parents had that one, the little cream one in their kitchen,” the woman points out to Mohamad as he comes to greet them. The big Nordmende Sterling next to it, Mohamad says, belonged to his uncle.

The wall of antique radios are a popular topic of conversation among Pistachio’s customers. Sophie Tremblay / The National  

The wall of antique radios are a popular topic of conversation among Pistachio’s customers. Sophie Tremblay / The National  

It’s exactly the type of dialogue Mohamad hoped the cafe would bring about.

“I got fed up by all the negative representations of my culture,” says Mohamad. “But before you dive into these deep conversations you have to establish a common denominator. That other person across the table needs to see you as an equal, not a threat and there's nothing better in my mind to establish that than food and drink and desserts and great architecture.”

Cafe owner Mohamad Hafez, who is also an architect, designed Pistachio to be full of unique details you can’t find in a corporate coffee shop. Sophie Tremblay / The National

Cafe owner Mohamad Hafez, who is also an architect, designed Pistachio to be full of unique details you can’t find in a corporate coffee shop. Sophie Tremblay / The National

Mohamad says Pistachio is his response to the toxic political culture afflicting America. He says since the election of Donald Trump, the US has seen a rise in anti-other rhetoric, much of it aimed at Muslims and refugees.

“Had all these political changes not happened in the past four years, I probably wouldn’t have felt the need to open this space,” he says.

“I told myself: ‘Mohamad, you’re Syrian, an Arab immigrant, a brother to a refugee - you need to speak out and utilise your art.'"

He says he hopes the cafe can act as both a healing space for Arab-Americans and also an opportunity to change perceptions of Connecticut’s growing population of immigrants, many of them Syrian.

‘We Have Won!’ by Mohamad Hafez. He is known for his miniature sculptures of his native Syria. Sophie Tremblay / The National

"We Have Won!" by Mohamad Hafez. He is known for his miniature sculptures of his native Syria. Sophie Tremblay / The National

Mohamad Hafez tinkers with objects at his art studio above the cafe. Sophie Tremblay / The National

Mohamad Hafez tinkers with objects at his art studio above the cafe. Sophie Tremblay / The National

That sentiment is present throughout the cafe. The cafe sources its baklava from Dearborn, Michigan, the Arab capital of America. The hummus, lentil soup and muhammara served on today’s lunch menu were prepared by Arab chefs from New Haven’s Sanctuary Kitchen, a social enterprise which helps refugees learn catering skills.

Pistachio puts emphasis on quality ingredients and sources its baklava from the iconic Shatila Bakery in Michigan. Sophie Tremblay / The National  

Pistachio puts emphasis on quality ingredients and sources its baklava from the iconic Shatila Bakery in Michigan. Sophie Tremblay / The National  

It seems every interaction fosters a better understanding of the other.

Back at the counter, a woman orders a signature Pistachio rose latte with a container of baklava to go.

The signature rose latte at Pistachio. Sophie Tremblay / The National

The signature rose latte at Pistachio. Sophie Tremblay / The National

“And what would you like?” Mohamad asks her companion. “I’m fine, thanks,” the man replies.

The response is unacceptable to the proud cafe owner.

“All right, so let me throw in something special for you then. I’m not letting you walk away hungry. I’m Syrian.”