Ammatolí
The name Ammatolí combines the words "Amma," which takes from the word Amman, the capital city of Jordan, and "toli," which derives from the Latin word for hills. Amman, the city where Chef Dima's family was raised, is renowned for the seven hills on which it was built. Chef Dima has carefully selected every element of the inspiration for Ammatolí's design. When a customer walks in, she wants them to feel as though they have been transported to a city in the Levant.
The significant usage of limestone for buildings in Jordan served as the inspiration for the stone that covers the bar and is embedded in the walls of Ammatolí. You can find exquisitely made Syrian furniture items that originally belonged to her family. Chef Dima's collection of antique objects from her international travels are hidden in the niches reflecting her love for travel and exploring the exotic flavors of the Middle East. You can find black-and-white images on the walls which were captured in places she had visited throughout the region, along with additional features that encircle every area of the space. Every detail has been carefully designed to create a cozy and welcoming atmosphere and transport the customer into an alternative city of the Levant!
Dima chose Long Beach as the location for Ammatolí, because she wanted to be a bridge between disparate Los Angeles and Orange County. “I wanted a place where all communities and families are able to meet in the middle,” she says, “be it for Ramadan or Eid al-Adha or birthdays or graduation. It’s also become a place for others to learn about my culture and home, my food and my people.”
Chef Dima
Dima was raised in Amman, Jordan, hence the restaurant’s name, by her Palestinian father who hails from Jerusalem and her mother, from Damascus, Syria; She is proud to note that her food isn’t singularly Jordanian, Syrian, Lebanese or Palestinian. She believes the restaurant’s menu embodies the richness of her family history in the Levant region in addition to the second half of her life here in California. Her love of cooking has always been present in her life; one of her favorite childhood activities was helping her mother prepare meals, which speaks to the Syrian impact on her cuisine today. Dima struggled to find a Levantine restaurant that reminded her of her life in Jordan after migrating to California, which led to the creation of Ammatolí. She has always had a love and enthusiasm for cooking “It really is the full realization of my dreams of what Ammatolí could be,” she says.
In the words of Chef Dima, "Cooking is my passion! At Ammatolí, we only utilize fresh ingredients, farm-raised all-natural and halal meats, and my family's favorite traditional recipes, all of which are served in a welcoming atmosphere." “I always tell my kitchen: Cook with love,” says Dima. “People can sense it in food. You should feel like you’re coming into my home when you visit. Hope you love it too!”
