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The Pittstown, NJ couple will be expanding both their family — with the birth of their first child expected in October — and restaurant business with new locations in Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and New York, the couple told Daily Voice.
Ayat, a Middle Eastern restaurant that Abdul named in honor of his dear wife, will open at 1243 W. Tilghman St., in Allentown, PA in October. The space was formerly occupied by Bellissimo Ristorante, which closed in 2021. Ayat will have 240 seats, inside and out.
The New Jersey store, Al Badawi, is named after the oldest olive tree in Palestine. It will seat 110 when it opens at 190 W. Main St., in Somerville, "hopefully sometime in November," Elenani said.
"I met my wife as an attorney... I was the client," Elenani told Daily Voice. "I ended up saying, 'I'm not going to hire you, I'm going to marry you!'"
After their meet-cute, the duo wed in 2018. Two years later, Elenani opened his first restaurant named after his lovely new wife Ayat, in Brooklyn.
His beautiful bride helps in the kitchen, which sports a menu featuring many of her own recipes, while Elenani works on the back end, managing the business side.
The menus boast plenty of traditional Middle Eastern fare, including tabbouleh, hummus, baba ghanoush, kibbeh, falafel, spinach pie, and more.
Why Allentown?
"My family moved to Allentown," Elenani said. "My father, mother, and three siblings. I would go there and... it's missing the proper restaurant."
Ayat will fix that, Elenani said.
And, why Somerville?
That's simple: It's halfway between Elenani's commute from Pittstown to New York City!
In the meantime, Elenani and Masoud are excited for the big changes that lie ahead.
"Every new restaurant serves a tale of dreams, and every newborn, a universe of possibilities," Elenani said. "In both, we find life's profound gifts."
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