Sameer Eid, a longtime, beloved metro Detroit restaurateur, has died, family spokesman and publicist Justin Near said late Friday afternoon. Eid was 85. A cause of death was not revealed.

Eid was the founder of Phoenicia, a fine dining restaurant centered on his Lebanese heritage.

“Sameer came to the U.S. in 1961 and built a life rooted in family, hospitality and his Lebanese heritage, and for more than 54 years, he personally oversaw every detail at Phoenicia, creating one of Michigan’s most celebrated restaurants,” Near said in a statement.

Eid purchased the Highland Park restaurant that would become Phoenicia in 1971 and later relocated it to Birmingham, where it has lived for more than 40 years.

The restaurant garnered copious praise from critics. Eid often acknowledged the late fo

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