"When Ayat Masoud and her husband Abdul Elenani opened the original Ayat in Bay Ridge, Brooklyn, in 2020, they wanted to "spread the message about what's happening in Palestine through food and culture" in the neighborhood where they had both grown up. Their "Palestinian soul food" restaurant, with a prominent mural of a woman weeping and Al-Aqsa mosque in Jerusalem guarded by Israeli soldiers, became a local favorite in a neighborhood where many restaurants fly a Palestinian flag."
"Since then, Ayat has expanded to eight locations across four boroughs and New Jersey- and gained a wider following. The restaurant gave free meals to Zohran Mamdani's campaign volunteers, and the mayor-elect the restaurant's Manhattan outpost this week. Early next year, Masoud and Elenani are expanding with several more locations across the country. Ayat DC will open by April, Elenani says, on the ground floor of a sleek glassy office building in Foggy Bottom."
"An order might start with a Palestinian mezze platter of hummus, baba ganoush, muhammarah, tabbouleh, tahina, and labne, and move on to a mixed grill kebab platter over rice. Ayat is best known for its elaborate Palestinian home-cooking showstoppers, many of which involve freshly baked flatbreads. One is msakhan: roasted chicken heaped with slow-cooked onions, sumac, and pine nuts, served over taboon flatbread."
Ayat began in Bay Ridge, Brooklyn, in 2020, founded by Ayat Masoud and Abdul Elenani to spread awareness about Palestine through food and culture. The restaurant features a mural depicting a weeping woman and Al-Aqsa mosque and became a neighborhood favorite where many establishments fly a Palestinian flag. Ayat expanded to eight locations across four boroughs and New Jersey, provided free meals to campaign volunteers, and drew political visitors. A Washington, D.C., location will open by April in Foggy Bottom near George Washington University and professional offices. The menu remains traditional, highlighting Palestinian mezze, mixed grills, and msakhan with taboon flatbread.
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