HEY, we have BIG NEWS!! As you may have heard, two weeks ago we were honored to be named as one of Bon Appetit’s 50 nominees for BEST New Restaurants in 2019 IN.THE.NATION! THIS WEEK you can find a Bon Appetit ARTICLE in their October 2019 Issue featuring ALEPPO SWEETS! It’s a lovely, creative article and tells our story in a unique way. One of my favorite parts in writer Priya Krishna’s article is her observation about YOUSSEF and how he can’t sit still — IT’S SO TRUE! When I first met … [Read more...] about Bon Appetit’s 50 nominees for BEST New Restaurants in 2019
News
WELCOME! Aleppo Sweets is OPEN!
What a month it’s been! On January 27th Aleppo Sweets opened our doors at 107 Ives Street in Providence to kickoff our “soft opening”. The response from all of you has been tremendous and word has spread quickly from friend to friend through word of mouth and social media. For those of you who have not yet come by our cafe, we are offering an array of freshly baked baklava daily as well as simple savory Syrian fare. The food is prepared authentically like going over to the Akhtarini’s home … [Read more...] about WELCOME! Aleppo Sweets is OPEN!
Work has begun!!
While Youssef continues with his ESL Classes (English as a Second Language) and baking in rented space at Five Herb Pizza in Cranston, work has begun at 107 Ives Street — the future home of Aleppo Sweets! 107 Ives was formally a Portuguese Social Club in the 1970’s, a dance school, and more recently an office and storage space for a local builder. What kitchen there was in the 1970’s is long gone, and a new one needs to be created. Walls are being knocked down and reconfigured for a … [Read more...] about Work has begun!!
It was October of 2016.
It was October of 2016. Weary and disoriented, Youssef Akhtarini and his wife Reem sat down in the empty room for their initial intake meeting at the main Refugee Resettlement organization, Dorcas International Institute in Providence, Rhode Island where I volunteer. They were from Aleppo, Syria. Aleppo, Syria, was in the news every day and night with horrifying images of destruction and death, and here was a couple who had escaped and been given an opportunity to live in peace and safety, … [Read more...] about It was October of 2016.