Just like that, Northern Liberties gets a new restaurant in ApricotStone, located at 1040 North 2nd Street, Suite 601, next to One Shot Cafe. The Mediterranean and Armenian restaurant by Ara (Front of House) and chef Fimy Ishkhanian took over the space once home to The Sweet Spot, a short-lived cafe on Liberties Walk.
Syrian-born Fimy learned her craft from her mother, and in 1981 made her way to the U.S. to open a restaurant of her own. Fimy’s Kitchen (now closed) opened on the Main Line in ’93 and then a second location in ’95. As of yesterday, her third project, ApricotStone, is now open.
On the menu, you’ll find the usuals of any Mediterranean restaurant: kebabs, tabouleh, fattoush, etc. But it’s the unfamiliar Middle Eastern comfort food that makes the restaurant an exciting addition in Northern Liberties. Coffee-wise, soorj is the drink. Named in onomatopoeic fashion (the sound you make while slurping it hot), it’s not Turkish coffee, but looks and acts just like it. There’s mujaddara, stewed lentils with caramelized onions; lahmajoun, a sort of Armenian flatbread with ground meat and vegetables; and kibbeh kufteh, bulgar-crusted, herby, deep-fried meat balls