Bethesda’s Dining Boom Continues With the Arrival of Levantine Hit Ala | Eater DC

"Opening March 1 at 4948 Fairmont Avenue in Bethesda, I describe Ala as the second edition of the popular Alain Dupont Circle Levantine restaurant, with a menu strikingly similar to the three-year-old original that blends flavors from Turkey, Syria, Israel, and Lebanon. Ala’s team plans to expand the block with a food hall and additional dining concepts next door, and owner Deniz Gulluoglu—who lives nearby in Cabin John—will reveal more details later. Corporate chef Zachary Baker, a Maryland native who most recently served as chef de cuisine at Michelin-starred Xiquet, leads a menu that highlights mutabal (roasted vegetable and tahini spread), hot meze like biber dolma (stuffed bell peppers), and an Adana kebab prepared with minced rib eye. The beverage program includes wines from Georgia, Israel, Lebanon, and Italy and cocktails built with fragrant ingredients such as turmeric, sumac, fig, rhubarb, and dill. I note practical details and perks: happy hour runs Monday through Thursday from 2 p.m. to 6 p.m., bottomless brunch is offered every weekend, the dining room seats 90 inside with 30 on the patio, and the former Positano space received new lighting, renovated restrooms, and an expanded bar with seating. As a nod to the site’s past, Ala will make a moussaka influenced by Positano chef Luigi Traettino’s lasagna recipe, and diners receive a 30-percent discount on their check for the entire first month of service." - Tierney Plumb