A new restaurant focusing on Iraqi and Kuwaiti cuisine plans a late December opening in Vienna.
“We are very proud of our Arab traditions and cuisine and are very happy to share it with the community,” says Mariam Al-Timeemy, owner of Dar Mariam.
The full-service, family-owned restaurant will serve Iraqi and Kuwaiti cuisine for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. It’s located at 107 Maple Ave. W., Vienna, in the space previously occupied by Donutchew.
“Come in and try our amazing and delicious food,” Al-Timeemy says. “Our food is flavorful and interesting — it’s very popular within the Arab community.”
Dar Mariam will feature well-known meals from the Persian Gulf like mansaf, a traditional lamb dish cooked in fermented dried yogurt and served with rice. Other signature offerings include mandi, beef tikkeh, mechbous, grilled fish, and hamsa shrimp.
“We’re very focused on how we prepare everything,” Al-Timeemy says. “We want to have you taste authentic and real Middle Eastern food.”
Al-Timeemy, from Falls Church, will manage the restaurant and her mother will cook. This is Al-Timeemy’s first restaurant venture, but she says she has built a loyal clientele with Arab cuisine catering in the DMV under the business Dar Mariam catering. The restaurant is a result of requests from clients.
Dar Mariam will continue to offer catering services from a rental kitchen until the restaurant opens.
“We don’t see that many Arab restaurants in this area,” she says. “And there’s a very big Arab community here.”
107 Maple Ave. W., Vienna
Feature image courtesy Dar Mariam
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