Couple dishes up authentic Middle Eastern cuisine at downtown Greeley restaurant in ‘gathering place’ atmosphere

When patrons ask David Barghelame if he is the owner of Rumi’s House of Kabob, he gives a slight shake of his head and points his index finger toward the ceiling.

It’s David’s way of saying that God is the true owner of all, and part of the philosophy he carries with him always.

“When you come into this world, you didn’t bring anything with you,” David said. “When you leave, you will take nothing with you. It really wasn’t ours. We are just the players in our certain area of life.”

David is technically the earthly owner of Rumi’s, named after the Persian poet he loves to quote. At this small, beautifully renovated house in downtown Greeley, you will most likely get a plate of delicious Middle Eastern food, served with a side of philosophy. If you are really lucky, the side will be delivered by David personally.

David and his wife, Retha, opened Rumi’s House of Kabob in September 2010, after spending nearly a year renovating the old house. Retha supervised the repairs and redecorating, wanting to make sure all was perfect when the restaurant launched.

The newly retextured walls of bronze and red, the Persian carpet that covers the refinished pine floors, the tapestry depicting Rumi himself greet visitors in this small but impeccably clean space. The upstairs offers additional tables for large parties, including a room with low tables where patrons sit on pillows on the floor.

David, who also owns First Class Motors on 10th Street, said he originally purchased the home at 1116 9th St. to fix up for a rental property. But about the same time, he was approached by a group of University of Northern Colorado students from Saudi Arabia about opening a restaurant that would serve Halal meat, the Muslim equivalent of kosher. The meat must be slaughtered ethically and properly, and be blessed. The house on 9th Street had once been a restaurant, and an idea began to form.

From there, David said, God took over and everything just fell into place.

“There is a saying that if somebody does something with good intention, to do well for somebody else, then intention takes over, and everything will happen step-by-step,” David said. That, he said, is what led to the opening of Rumi’s.

First, David and Retha enlisted the help of an Iranian chef who was living in Greeley. Another chef from Egypt pitched in and a menu was developed.

“One thing led to another and suddenly we had this menu,” David said.

When the chef from Iran had to return to his home country, David and Retha suddenly found another cook, from Honduras, who went through a week of training and worked out perfectly.

When the couple was having a difficult time finding the Halal meat, a distributor in Denver suddenly opened and now provides all the restaurant needs. Although the Barghelames opened the restaurant with little fanfare, business has been growing steadily, sometimes to the point of people lining up outside to get in on busy weekend nights.

What the Barghelames’ intention has turned into is an authentic, Middle Eastern restaurant that serves healthy, tasty food at a reasonable price. The beef and chicken kabobs are marinated and freshly grilled, served with basmati rice, a salad of tomato and cucumber, and pita with hummus. There are also Greek salads with fresh feta, gyros, creamy red lentil soup and falafel, a fried chickpea patty, perfectly spiced and served with a creamy tzatsiki sauce made with homemade yogurt and fresh cucumber.

David is proud of the food he serves, and is constantly trying to update the menu. One recent weekday, David was in the kitchen experimenting with a tasty rice and meat dish that would provide a quick lunch for busy business people. He points to a large grease stain on his shirt, laughing.

“I ruin a lot of shirts these days,” he said.

Retha is the baker, and makes the moist, almond cookies and flaky baklava patrons enjoy for dessert, that is if they have room.

The couple has been married 35 years, has four children and four grandchildren. David emigrated from Iran when he was 15 years old, eventually coming to Greeley to attend college. Retha was born and raised in Greeley.

David said he wants the restaurant to be more than just a place to satiate hunger pangs. When he can, David loves to greet patrons, test out new menu items on them and, of course, tell a story. He wants his customers to feel happy and comfortable when they are dining.

“This is not a restaurant,” he said. “It is a gathering place. It is a home.”