What I ordered: Rosemary chicken with potatoes and tabbouleh. Is there a restaurant you want to see featured? Send your suggestions to. It’s a warming hug on a cold day, a bite that makes the pandemic a little less somber. If you’re lucky enough to score a falafel soon after Kameel scoops it out of the pan and dots it with harissa, you’ll see why he’s a star. Before I can leave, he pours about a cup of olive oil into a to-go container, asks a staffer to wrap it in plastic, and tells me to take it home to try his morning ritual. (No deep frying here!) The oil is clean, because he changes it every day. Next thing you know, he shows me he his favorite brand of California olive oil, then comes out with the giant skillet he uses to fry falafel. It didn’t take long for Kameel to appear, and ask if I was the guy from the paper. So on Saturday afternoon, I placed an order online from the food court and lurked at a table while the server assembled it. When a reader recently asked me what I thought of Aviva, I had no answer. The pandemic delayed the July 7 opening, but having a second location in a vibrant part of town with day and night traffic has helped shore things up. Coda, which offered a food court set-up with soaring ceilings and a commodious communal outdoor space, was perfect. (Kameel’s wife, Dana, is the company’s chief financial officer.) Explore Intown Atlanta dining newsīy 2018, the family felt it was time to expand. She was his muse, the one who helped him replicate their mother’s cooking, and after four decades, her name endures as part of the brand.
Aviva helped him prep dinner service while he worked days at the office. At 21, while still in Nazareth, he opened his first restaurant, Aviva Express, named for a beloved sister. Srouji started in banking, but he felt nothing for it. But when they did, he and his two sisters were always nervous: They knew their dad was going to interview the chef and ask to see the kitchen. His son, Nas, who partners with his parents at Aviva by Kameel at Peachtree Center and their 5-month-old second store at Coda in Midtown, says the family rarely ate out. Every morning, he drinks 3 ounces of it, followed by a glass of lemon water, and a couple of dates with walnuts. They are family recipes,” Nas says.A pescatarian who does not eat butter, Srouji swears by the health-giving properties of the natural fat. “She’s the inspiration behind the Middle Eastern traditional dishes. The restaurant is named after Kameel’s sister and Nas’s aunt, Aviva, a name which Nas says translates to spring, fresh, and renewal. However, the new restaurant does offer picnic tables and booths for dine-in. Nas says he expects many orders to come via DoorDash and Uber Eats. “We have so much love and appreciation for our guests.” “It’s just my dad’s personality,” he says. Kameel’s son Nas Srouji leads operations for the restaurants.
#Aviva by kameel free#
The downtown location of Aviva by Kameel gained popularity both as much for it’s Mediterranean build-your-own platters as its charismatic chef and proprietor, Kameel Srouji, who often greets his customers with a cheerful “I love you!” and a free sample. Now, the restaurant has implemented safety procedures including temperature checks, masks, and gloves for employees, and contactless pickup for customers. The grand opening party was originally planned for March 19 but delayed due to COVID-19. Photograph by John Alburl, The Imprints Rosemary Chicken
In lieu of payment, Aviva by Kameel will be collecting donations for the Atlanta Community Food Bank and the Yemen Relief and Reconstruction Foundation. Food will be served by employees via an assembly line. A socially distanced launch party will be held from 6 p.m.
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