For one night only, this underground supper club in Philly serves the ‘love language for Arabs’ with a big Lebanese feast

On a warm June evening, Miled Finianos serves delicately curated plates of radicchio tabbouli, Wagyu beef arayes, and a cherry-pomegranate galette topped with vanilla ice cream to the eight guests gathered around an elaborate tablescape in his South Philly apartment. The voices of Frank Sinatra and Fairuz float in the air as Finianos’ guests devour a six-course Lebanese feast inspired by his grandmothers.

During the day, Finianos manages financial accounts for Insomnia Cookies in Center City. But for one or two nights each month, he’s not only a host but also a chef, reinventing the dishes of his childhood for intimate suppers at a bar in Fishtown, a florist in Manayunk, or a backyard in South Philly.

Finianos began cooking more seriously during the COVID-19 lockdown. Hunkered down in his South Philly home, he fell into a rabbit hole of YouTube cooking videos from Bon Appetit and Food52 chefs. Soon after, he started posting his own food videos under the handle Miled Eats on TikTok and YouTube.

But it wasn’t until last September that he decided to share what he calls the “love language for Arabs” — food — and host intimate dinner parties for his friends. The guest list gradually extended to the broader Philadelphia community. The parties turned into monthly culinary experiences. “Everyone who comes to the event leaves as habibis,” the Arabic word for beloved, Finianos said.

Habibi Supper Club officially entered the Philly dining scene in December 2023, featuring five- to six-course dinners with what Finianos describes as “rustic Lebanese village food with a modern American flair.” The supper club, designed in collaboration with the brand consulting agency Happy Happy Creative, offers Philadelphians a place at tayta’s (grandma’s) table.

“Not to steal from Olive Garden’s [slogan], but when you’re here, you’re habibi,” Finianos said.

Finianos, whose grandparents operated South Philly’s Sam’s Pizza in the 1970s, quickly recognized the appeal of informal supper clubs, which are at the heart of Philly’s dining experiences. The concept allows him to recreate the dishes he grew up eating while maintaining the intimate dining experience reminiscent of family feasts he’s “always been around.” Finianos grew up between Lebanon and Miami.

The dinner usually begins with Finianos sharing the inspiration behind the night’s theme. Dishes are served course by course with him detailing the background and influences behind each dish. Seated in assigned spots, attendees chat and laugh with strangers as a mix of American and Arabic music plays in the background. Finianos says the supper club sessions always end with people “making new friends and learning from each other.”

Finianos plans to host 18 dinners during Habibi Supper Club’s first year. The dinners are BYOB and typically range from $65 to $95 per person, depending on the menu, location, and collaborations. They take place up to twice a month, often featuring collaborators such as Kenan Rabah of the forthcoming Majdal Bakery, Sara Rhodin of Palestinian-Philadelphian dinner party project Najla, and chef Shelby Fahrni of the Cooking Studio in Telford. The next supper club, a “Night of Nostalgia,” is set for Oct. 19 and will feature a six-course menu inspired by childhood classic snacks, including BonJus (a Lebanese juice brand) and Dunkaroos. An Addams Family-themed dinner party with Citrine Tablescapes will follow on Halloween. The events typically are capped at 12 guests, but the number varies depending on the venue — “Night of Nostalgia” is sold out.

“I feel so grateful all the time — it started off with [an interest in] food, but it’s evolved into these nights where I just get to see people make friends [who] come hungry for my stuffed zucchinis,” he said.

With Israel’s increased bombardment in the southern part of Lebanon, Finianos struggles with the “privilege of being able to do this — a sort of lighter version of survivor’s guilt.” He said a friend recently reminded him of the importance of sharing Lebanese food and culture during a time of grief and fear.

“I can channel my energy, love, passion, and rage to create something hopefully beautiful that people want to participate in, especially people of my generation who miss our childhood,” Finianos said. “It sucks to see what’s going on [over there]. But if there’s one night of levity where people can go back [home], then I’m very honored that I get to do that for them, and I’m going to keep doing it as long as I can.”

Habibi Supper Club also keeps Finianos connected to the “resilient women” in his life who would deck out their dining room tables with elaborate meals that he remembers decades later: his grandmothers, Isabelle with her “world famous” sambousek and Marie-Rose with her loubiye bi lahem w riz (green beans with beef on vermicelli rice), and his mother, Nathalie with the “best” fassolya (red beans and rice). “I draw inspiration from the ferocity of these Lebanese women — war is going on in [their] backyard, but [they] still put food on the table,” he said.

Finianos hopes to open a brick-and-mortar cafe in South Philly, where people can gather to enjoy Levantine music, food, and art, recreating the atmosphere within his grandmothers’ homes.

“Habibi Supper Club is my way of finding home away from home,” he said. “I used to think that I was never enough of either but I am very much both, [American and Lebanese]. And being Lebanese, you’re an expat who yearns to be back as soon as possible. So, I’m inviting anyone who would like to be a part of this community of [finding] ‘home away from home’ — you just have to be a lovely person with an appetite for good food.”