Dean Zaidan, owner of Dean's Mediterranean Imports, is a Findlay Market veteran. "I got started here roasting nuts," he said. Twenty-two years later his store mushroomed from a one-item operation to a specialty shop that offers around 2,000 items, including 30 varieties of nuts he still roasts.
CityBeat: What's the last great meal you ate and where did you eat it?
Dean Zaidan: A place in Northside called Darou Salam. I just stumbled upon it. It's an African place. They don't have to menu. She said, "You can one, two or three: fish, chicken or lamb." It was unique. The dessert was fabulous, too.
CB: What's the most exotic item you carry?
DZ: Saffron ... and pistachio oil. That's pretty exotic. And truffles. A small jar is about $10. You get about three truffles!
DEAN'S MEDITERRANEAN IMPORTS, Findlay Market, Over-the-Rhine, 513-241-8222
