Ala Restaurant To Open New Location In Downtown Bethesda: Reports

BETHESDA, MD — The owners of ala restaurant in D.C.'s Dupont Circle are planning to open a new location in downtown Bethesda, according to reports.

Ala Bethesda will move into the former Positano Ristorante Italiano building at 4948 Fairmont Avenue in downtown Bethesda's Woodmont Triangle, Robert Dyer @ Bethesda Row reported Thursday.

The restaurant, which will have a similar menu to its Dupont Circle location, is scheduled to open in Bethesda this fall.

On its website, ala says its cuisine "transports you to the sun-kissed shores and rich culinary traditions of the Levantine region."

“Nestled discreetly within a charming corner of the city, Michelin-rated restaurant ala invites you on an unforgettable journey through the flavors and aromas of the Mediterranean,” the restaurant says.

The Levant is a region that includes the eastern Mediterranean, including Cyprus, as well as Turkey and countries in what is known today in the West as the Middle East.

“We focus on cooking and mixology from the Levant, an area of the world that has a long history and a colorful past. Over 10,000 years ago, it was in the Levant that humans began their first trial with agriculture - where cities, irrigation, and civilization later followed,” ala says.

Ala’s kitchen is led by Executive Chef Ercan Sahn, who oversees a menu that celebrates the flavor and history of the Levantine cooking. A native of Turkey, Sahn most recently worked closely with Chef Fabio Trabocchi at restaurant Del Mar in D.C.

Ala owner Deniz Gulluoglu and her family live in the Cabin John area of Bethesda, according to The MoCo Show.