Because Dearborn is home to some of the best food in southeast Michigan, it's tempting for many residents to stay in town for most of their meals.

Yemen Nights offers a new twist on Arabic food dining in the Dearborn area as well as a comfortable place to relax with friends.

But those who venture just outside of city limits to the two-week-old Yemen Nights Café on Michigan Avenue in Detroit will find a unique dining experience that adds a new twist to the Middle Eastern dining experience.

Owner Fawzi Al-Shohatee brings a wealth of experience as the co-owner of the popular Lava Java and Midnight Express cafes in Dearborn. He plans to use the same business strategy that helped make his other ventures successful.

"We want to provide good food and good service in a clean place," Al-Shohatee said. "When you focus on the important things, word of mouth will bring in the customers."

He also has brought Lebanese food favorites like fattoush and shish tawook, but the highlights of the Yemen Nights Café menu, which is all halal, are the specialty dishes from Al-Shohatee's home country.

The appetizer diners can't afford to miss out on at the Yemen Nights Café is the saltah, Yemen's national dish. The robust meat stew is perfect for dipping with the café's fresh-baked bread. It can also be spiced up with sahawiq, a salsa-like mixture that adds even more flavor to the centerpiece dish that's a great conversation piece for guests.

The chicken and lamb dishes here are a little bit spicier in general than typical Arabic fare while still maintaining the tenderness and natural flavor of their counterparts.

One of the most popular drinks at Yemen Nights is the lime juice, one of several raw juices offered along with argileh to enjoy either inside or at the outdoor patio tables. The cool, refreshing taste of the lime juice is a great complement to some of the spicier dishes and an ideal drink for a hot summer day.

The saltah meat stew is the national dish of Yemen and a popular appetizer at the new Yemen Nights restaurant in Detroit on the border of Dearborn.

Al-Shohatee is also taking steps to make Yemen Nights Café a destination for the casual crowd as flat-screen TVs will soon be installed so patrons can catch all of the day's sports action. The interior is spacious and comfortable with a large juice bar area perfect for relaxing. Wi-fi Internet access is also free and delivery is available for orders with a $25.00 minimum. Catering is also available.

Fridays and Saturdays will feature live entertainment including oud players and other musicians to add to the festive atmosphere of Yemen Nights.

And don't forget about breakfast, an important staple of the Yemeni diet, bringing even more unique flavors to the table.

Yemen Nights Café is open from 8 a.m.-midnight seven days a week and is located at 9310 Michigan Avenue in Detroit. The phone number is 313.581.0200 and the Web site, www.yemenightscafe.com, is coming soon.

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