Laya Joseph was an icon. She was the heart and soul of Lebanese ancestry, food, and culture in downtown Waterville (“Two longtime businesses close in downtown Waterville,” Jan. 15). On a small side road in Maine, Laya’s restaurant welcomed Lebanese and Americans alike to enjoy her authentic, delectable meals. The smells and tastes of Lebanese chicken and rice, meat and spinach fatayers, and fattoush wrapped me in familiarity as a child sitting with my father in Laya’s quaint restaurant.
And when she was not in her own kitchen, she was in the kitchen of Saint Joseph’s Maronite Catholic Church helping to support her community.
After a century of the Lebanese immigration to Maine, Laya and much of her community members are gone. When each member of the Lebanese community grew older and passed away, Laya’s food remained a pleasant reminder of the unique and special culture that helped give Waterville its own persona.
Now, with the closing of Laya’s Lebanese Cuisine, our community loses another piece of its proud history. Although her life and food are no longer, who she was, and who she and her food represent live on. Let us continue to honor and remember the Lebanese history and culture that add color to Waterville’s unique heritage.
Few words can comfort us in times of mourning. I find myself turning to an almost-Mainer’s famous quote: “Nothing gold can stay.” – Robert Frost.
Sara (Poirier) Younes
Gray
(Winslow native)
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