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8 Cloves family opening new Indian restaurant in old Hattie’s space in Bishop Arts

The Nayeb family plans to open a less fast, less casual version of the farmers market favorite.

Sabrina Nayeb is ready to move. Her family’s new restaurant, tentatively called Cloves, is a less fast, less casual version of 8 Cloves at the Dallas Farmer’s Market. They were aiming for a September completion in the space that was once Hattie’s in Bishop Arts.

Today, thanks to this tiresome virulent air, construction tenderly resumes and vendors are scheduling one-at-a-time visits. Opening a restaurant is already an iceberg of anxiety. Adding a pandemic feels like you’re manning the Titanic. But there’s a bloom of hope in her voice:

“August was the first month that I could breathe,” Nayeb says. It’s been weeks of pushing things back and then further back as the sea withdrew from their plans. Back in the spring, after the mandatory lockdown, 8 Cloves reopened as quickly as they could muster. Chef-owner Afifa Nayeb, Sabrina’s mother, employs refugees (from countries like Syria and Afghanistan) in need of work, and, more than ever, the staff needed paychecks coming.

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“We just took a gamble, honestly,” Nayeb recalls on charging forward with the reopening. They stood up an online store and grabbed every third-party delivery service they could find. They trained their staff on what to say to folks who come in mask-less. No masks, no service.

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After the farmers market gave them the green light to open, Nayeb was “shocked” to see a line of people for her mother’s food.

“They love my mom’s food. Because of them, we’ve been able to have hope.”

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8 Cloves in Dallas
8 Cloves in Dallas(Lawrence Jenkins / Special Contributor)

There are plenty of meetings and documents to sign for the new finer dining spot, but you’ll find Afifa mostly cooking these days. The Indian-inspired Thali platter ― a kaleidoscope of pickles and chutney and dal in each their own divots ― is a treasure chest filled with sparkling gems. Scoops of rice and a blade of naan are always in the center, surrounded by a luminous wheel of palak paneer, okra, chutney, raita ― that magnificent condiment of yogurt, punctuated by cucumbers and dill ― and khir (a sweet rice pudding).

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The keema is another lighthouse in stormy times: spicy chopped beef, simmered with green peas and a fried egg, all of which begins with onions, garlic and oil. “The base flavor is rooted more from Afghani flavors,” Sabrina says. Growing up, she remembers her mom’s rice dishes like kabuli pulao ― rice with raisins, carrots and lamb ― that chef Afifa would evolve into the Indian-influenced biryani.

8 Cloves patrons are looking for comfort in a crisis, of course: The restaurant is blazing through orders of chicken tikka masala. (Pro-tip: Get the tikka masala in roti taco form; it’s loud, spice-dazzled Texas comfort food). They’ll find you curbside with your order.

The Nayeb family is far from a vacation. Sabrina also runs Juicebabe, a juice bar in the farmers market. There are meetings and calls and paperwork. Chef Afifa, however, is likely in the kitchen at 8 Cloves, hand-mixing vibrant seasonings into one another.

“You’ll always find her in the kitchen.”

8 Cloves will remain open in the Dallas Farmers Market at 920 S. Harwood Street, but is moving a few feet down to the old Stocks & Bondy space. Cloves (tentative name) is scheduled to open in December 2020 at 418 N. Bishop Ave. 8cloves.com.

Meat Thali dish at 8 Cloves in Dallas
Meat Thali dish at 8 Cloves in Dallas(Lawrence Jenkins / Special Contributor)