Restaurateur Deniz Gulluoglu and her husband Celal plan to open a second location for their Mediterranean-inspired restaurant, Ala, in October.
Ala will occupy the space that used to house the Italian restaurant Positano Ristorante in Bethesda at 4948 Fairmont Ave., according to the Washingtonian. The first location for the Levantine restaurant is located in Dupont Circle.
“It’s like you’re walking in a Mediterranean country street,” Celal Gulluoglu, Ala’s co-owner and architect, told the Washingtonian.
Ala’s second location will feature a patio, rooftop, and a seating area that can take up to 170 guests. The menu includes coffee, sweet and savory pastries, and bottomless mimosas.
Ala’s Turkish dishes vary from meat dumplings and kebabs to pistachio baklava with hot tea. It will also serve dishes inspired by Syria and Lebanon.
“We are not a traditional Mediterranean restaurant,” Celal said. “We’re always trying to add a twist to traditional dishes.”
