The Sheik

New York City, 

1924-1954 

 

In 1913, Elias and Joseph Kirdahy opened the Kirdahy Brothers’ Oriental Restaurant on Washington Street in Lower Manhattan. The neighborhood, known as Little Syria, was the first Arab enclave in the United States. In the mid-1920s, the brothers renamed their restaurant The Sheik after Rudolph Valentino’s wildly popular silent film. According to legend, actor John Barrymore, a frequent guest, suggested the new name. The decision proved pivotal, sparking a trend among Arab American restaurateurs to adopt names drawn from Hollywood’s romanticized visions of the Arab world. The business card shown above and three menus recall this restaurant that, through the choice of a new name, rebranded itself in a way that helped shape American food culture.