Opening their own Mediterranean restaurant had long been a dream for brothers Alex and Hamoude Antabli, but the manifestation of their ideas came together in a matter of months.
About three months ago, when the brothers learned that the Transfer Co. Food Hall burger and salad spot Mama Crow’s was closing, they presented their business plan for Urban Olive Mediterranean to the food hall co-owners, Jason and Jeanne Queen, who also operated Mama Crow’s, Alex Antabli told The News & Observer in a phone interview.
The Queens liked the idea, and Mama Crow’s announced the new concept in conjunction with its closing statement.
“We’re thrilled to welcome Urban Olive, a vibrant Mediterranean spot, into this space and can’t wait to see their vision come to life here at Transfer Co.,” Mama Crow’s wrote in a September Instagram post.
By early December, Urban Olive was open in the food hall. Now only a few weeks old, it was just voted the Triangle’s best new restaurant by readers of The News & Observer.
A steak kebab platter from Urban Olive Mediterranean, served with rice, hummus and pesto orzo.
“The amount of love and support we found from the community is amazing,” said Antabli, who oversees the operation.
The Antabli brothers, who spent more than a decade working in a Mediterranean restaurant, were born in the United States but grew up in Syria in a city called Lattakia. The area’s economy depends heavily on agriculture, Antabli said, particularly lemon, orange and olive production.
“A huge part of our memory is going into the mountains in late September and October and harvesting olives with our family,” said Antabli, who attended Wake Technical Community College for two years before enrolling at N.C. State University, where he studied global relations and political science.
Urban Olive Mediterranean menu
Urban Olive’s menu stays true to Mediterranean cuisine, offering dishes including hummus, falafel and Greek salad. The recipes are from Antabli’s family, and Hamoude manages the kitchen. But the restaurant has tweaked the recipes, introducing new flavors and modern concepts.
The Pom Berry Salad from Urban Olive Mediterranean features a dressing made with pomegranate, blueberry and cherry molasses.
For example, the Pom Berry Salad ($9) dressing is made with not just pomegranate molasses, a common ingredient in Mediterranean kitchens, but also blueberry and cherry molasses. Traditional dishes such as shawarma are available as bowls ($14-$15), one of the most popular dishes among fast-casual concepts and at Urban Olive.
The restaurant offers chicken, beef and lamb shawarma wraps, which Antabli said have been among the top sellers. The Urban Fries ($8), loaded with feta cheese, kalamata olives, sumac onions, garnished with parsley and dressed with an extra virgin olive oil and lemon vinaigrette, has been one of the most popular items. So has the Shawarma Fries ($11), topped with chicken shawarma, tomatoes, pickles and parsley.
“It’s a family’s recipes that tell the stories of our childhood, like when mom used to cook in the summer’s afternoons, and when we spent time around the table, and our time, our laughter in the kitchen,” Antabli said. “We wanted to bring that back, and we decided now is a good time, and Transfer is a great place to do so.”
Urban Olive plans expansion
One of the best sellers so far at Urban Olive Mediterranean has been the Shawarma Fries. The Raleigh restaurant, located inside Transfer Co. Food Hall, also serves Urban Fries, topped with ingredients such as kalamata olives and feta cheese.
Urban Olive is only weeks old, but already, its founders, who include the Antabli and his wife, Sisi Najjar, and Hamoude and his wife, Lolo Fwakhrji, plus three of their friends, are thinking about expansion.
Timing is uncertain, but they want to start a food truck to bring Urban Olive’s food to festivals and events across the Triangle. In January, the restaurant plans to begin offering catering for clients in downtown Raleigh such as corporate events and office lunches.
“Urban Olive was born from a kitchen table and a dream to share the generosity, the timeless flavor of the Mediterranean with the Raleigh community,” he said.
Urban Olive is located inside Transfer Co. Food Hall at 500 E Davie St. in Raleigh.
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