The purpose behind all of my concepts is to connect, open doors for newness, and empower others to come to the table. I started with restaurants, but that’s just the beginning.

01 — Compass Rose D.C.

A DC gathering place where neighbors can experience the wonder of travel without ever leaving home. Not all who wander are lost.

02 — Check Please

That time I hosted a TV show. Each week, we took viewers on a culinary journey through the vibrant DC-area restaurant community. We featured cuisines from all over the world at family-run businesses, neighborhood spots, beloved DC institutions, and everything in between. 

03 — Maydan D.C.

Our town square- our Maydan- shares the wisdom and culinary tradition of the women of the diaspora + forges new stories around the fire. Forget what you know.

04 — Go There Wines

A social impact wine company that celebrates winemakers who are changing the face of the wine world as we know it…and making damn good wine while doing it. Every Wine Has a Story.

05 — Kirby Club

A social restaurant that tells the story of my family + the Middle-Eastern American story through the universal language of kebabs. United People of Kebab.

06 — No White Plates

A collective of creators who build spaces that are made to welcome you just the way you are, then to transport and inspire you. Making Difference Mainstream.

07 — Maydan Cookbook

My debut cookbook, explores bold flavors, accessible, shareable recipes, and overlapping foodways, spanning from Lebanon to Morocco, from Oman to the Republic of Georgia—cowritten with New York Times bestselling cookbook author Marah Stets.