For Immediate Release
Latif Guler Appoints Ghassan Jarrouj as Executive Chef of Agora
Washington, DC (May 17, 2010) — Latif Guler of GLAD, LLC is pleased to announce the appointment of Ghassan Jarrouj as Executive Chef of Agora, the new 170-seat Turkish restaurant opening on May 24th at 1527 17th Street, NW. The restaurant will serve dinner and weekend brunch on Saturday and Sunday. The all-small plate menu at Agora will include Turkish and Greek flavors. Dishes will be priced from $5 to $13 and guests dining at Agora can also anticipate fresh olive oil bottled on Guler’s family farm in Foca, Turkey.
A Lebanese native, Ghassan Jarrouj brings 35 years of experience preparing Mediterranean cuisine to his new position at Agora. Most recently he served as executive chef of the authentic Lebanese restaurant Sitti in Raleigh, North Carolina. Jarrouj’s career also includes working in various kitchens on both coasts including La Rue, a four-time Silver Spoon winning restaurant in San Francisco. Additionally, he served as the personal chef for three US ambassadors to Lebanon in Beirut from 1987 to 1996. In recent years, Jarrouj served as executive chef in two of Washington’s most elite Mediterranean kitchens: Neyla from 2000 to 2006, and Taverna Kefi in Wheaton, Maryland from 2008 to 2009.
At Agora, Jarrouj will showcase a menu that highlights signature Turkish fare with a majority of small plates prepared in the wood-fired oven and charcoal-fired BBQ grill.
For starters, delicious Spreads include Cacik: Yogurt, cucumber, dill, vinegar; Taromasalata: whipped, cured roe and Haydari: yogurt, feta, diced apples, walnuts and celery. Featured Salads include Kaslik Salatasi: diced tomatoes, onions, parsley, cucumber, feta cheese, cizik olives, olive oil, vinegar, lemon juice and Turkish crushed red peppers and a Beet Salad with potatoes, garlic, micro greens, oranges and red beets. Chef Jarrouj’s menu will also feature a variety of Cold Mezes such as Wild Catch Boiled Octopus with olive oil, lemon juice, green olives, red onions and Midye Dolma: rice stuffed mussels, as well as Hot Vegetables such as Osmanli Pilavi: ottoman rice, dates, saffron and fried shallots and Chef’s Borek: crispy phyllo rolls, with feta cheese and cream cheese.
Guests can enjoy also enjoy items from the Meat and Poultry section of the menu such as Yaprak Dolma: beef stuffed grape leaves on top of a lamb chop; Manti: Turkish mini beef stuffed ravioli with garlic yogurt, and red pepper sauce, or Bonfile Sarma: wrapped filet mignon with tomato sauce. Furthermore, twenty percent of the dishes will come from the Aegean Sea as five different varieties of fish will be flown to the restaurant weekly. Seafood highlights including Hamsi Shish: grilled Turkish anchovies; Cimcime” pan fried shrimp with Turkish crushed red peppers and slices garlic, as well as Barbun: filet of red mullet with brushed honey, lemon juice which is cooked on a salamander oven. Small plates range from $5 to $13 each.
Agora, which means “gathering place” in Greek brings authentic Turkish cuisine to the heart of Dupont and is designed to resemble a Mediterranean oasis. In addition to its main dining room, Agora will provide private seating for up to 48 guests when the upstairs expansion is complete in mid-July. During the spring and summer seasons, additional seating is available as the sidewalk café at Agora can accommodate 34 guests for both the lunch and dinner service. For more information, please call (202) 332-6767 or email info@agoradc.net.