The matriarch of one of Raleigh’s most beloved restaurant groups has died
She brought her recipes with her nearly 50 years ago when she traveled from Lebanon to the United States, building the foundation for one of the Triangle’s most popular restaurant groups.
Cecilia Saleh, the matriarch of Raleigh’s Neomonde restaurants and the namesake of Sassool, has died, the restaurant group announced Thursday. She was 96.
In the Triangle, Neomonde and Sassool are two of the area’s most popular Mediterranean restaurants, built on Saleh’s recipes.
“Today, our hearts are heavy as we share the news of the passing of our beloved founder and Matriarch — Cecilia Saleh,” the restaurant announced on social media. “Our mother’s grace, wisdom, and unwavering Faith laid the foundation for the Saleh family. She was the guiding light shaping our values and inspiring us, her children, grandchildren, and community, to continuously leave a legacy of kindness, compassion, and unity.”
Born in the Lebanese village Mazraat El Toufah, Saleh immigrated to the United States in 1976.
A year later, the family opened Neomonde as a bakery specializing in pita breads, founded by Saleh’s sons DeGaulle, Joseph, Mounir and Samir.
In 1989, Neomonde added a restaurant menu, with Cecilia Saleh’s recipes as its foundation.
Today there are three Neomonde restaurants, the most recent opening in Durham in 2018, plus the company’s bakery, which continues to serve grocery stores and restaurants throughout the Triangle.
In an effort in 2020 to determine the Triangle’s most essential restaurants, readers of The News & Observer named Neomonde to that list.
In 2011 Mounir launched a separate restaurant brand that would eventually be named Sassool, his mother’s childhood nickname.
There are now two Sassool Cafes in Raleigh and Cary, also built on Celicia Saleh’s family recipes, like hummus and kafta.
“As we honor her memory, we want to emphasize Cecilia’s profound gratitude and affection for the people of Raleigh,” said the restaurant group in a statement. “Her mission to extend love through food remains steadfast as we continue to break bread with this cherished community.”
