Amongst Connecticut Avenue’s countless shops and boutiques lies Fresh Med, a local Mediterranean restaurant. With its mouth-watering Lebanese cuisine and family-like atmosphere, Fresh Med has become a local staple to those within the Cleveland Park community.
Fresh Med co-founder and co-owner Salim Adimi aspires to serve high-quality Mediterranean dishes to their customers. This family-run business is a staple for WIS students craving a satisfying afterschool meal.
Since Adimi has lived in D.C. for nearly three decades, he has seen many changes in the city throughout the years. “D.C. is improving,” he said. “It’s getting bigger and better.”
Adimi is definitely a local, but his international background and upbringing in Northern Africa have shaped him into a truly global citizen. Adimi, born in Algiers, Algeria, is proficient in Arabic, French, and Spanish, alongside his fluency in English.
His linguistic abilities help Adimi create meaningful connections with the diverse community members of Cleveland Park.
“We have a variety of clientele: old, young, family-oriented [and] workers from the office,” Adimi said. “We cater to synagogues, churches, schools, events and parties.”
When he first moved to D.C. 26 years ago, Adimi owned and operated a similar restaurant in Georgetown called Quick Pita, until he decided to move to the Cleveland Park strip in 2006 and launch Fresh Med with co-owner and brother Malek Adimi.
“Fresh Med is one of a kind: the customers really appreciate the food here, our dishes are fresh and made daily and we have a variety of dishes,” Adimi said.
From traditional Mediterranean classics to American comfort food, Fresh Med has it all. The restaurant serves vegetarian dishes, kebabs, hummus, fresh salads, pizza, and wings, according to Adimi.
Adimi’s admiration for Cleveland Park keeps him motivated to continuously pursue the art of Mediterranean cuisine. “Cleveland Park is a one of a kind neighborhood in D.C.,” he said. “It’s beautiful, nice and the customers are really friendly.”
Though Adimi is deeply devoted to Cleveland Park, he also acknowledges the tough competition that the neighborhood has to offer. “There are a lot of restaurants: Mediterranean, Asian, Italian,” he said. “There are constantly a lot of people, it’s so diverse and that’s what I like about it.”
Fresh Med stays reliant on local customers and general support from the community to keep afloat.
“Especially because of COVID-19, we get help from the local customers,” Adimi said. “We really appreciate them. They help and support us.”
His determined mindset is what has driven Fresh Med to success in the past 15 years. “Starting a business is not easy,” Adimi said. “It’s going to take time, it’s going to take passion and you have to be patient.”
By Andrea Brudniak-Berrocal and Derin Kirtman
