Aleppo can boast one of the richest and most diverse cuisines in the world. Despite its wide acclaim, only a paltry handful of Aleppo dishes are ever served at Los Angeles restaurants and it remains a cuisine of great home cooks. One day Aleppo natives Seta Ekmekji and her sister-in-law, Rhoda Margossian, decided to compile some of their recipes to leave to their children, a project that developed a life of its own and turned into a cookbook. Seta and her son Alec will present a brief history of Aleppo, talk about the lifestyle there, and discuss some of the recipes in their book—dishes that cannot be easily found in restaurants, even in Aleppo itself. Samples will be served after the talk.

When Seta Ekmekji was thirty-five, the U.S. Consul in Aleppo invited her and her husband to immigrate to America. Here Seta created a new career for herself as a banker, ending her career as a manager of the Beverly Hills branch of Bank of America. Son Alec attended Hollywood High School and UCLA, holds a Master’s Degree in Physics, and has worked as an engineer in the defense industry. He dreamt that after retiring he would return to Aleppo and live there for a year, but the recent war has prevented this. Alec is also a writer of short stories and poetry, and recently published his first book, titled Beneath the Glass Bell. Currently he is working on a book of translations of Armenian poetry into English.

Los Angeles Area Guide for Syrian restaurants, grocery and meat stores, and bakeries.                 

Provided by: Seta and Alec Ekmekji, “Aleppo, Syria: Culture & Cuisine”  

Restaurants                                                                                Groceries and Meats

Carousel (Glendale)                                                                       Danny’s Fresh Meat and Produce

304 N. Brand Boulevard                                                                 17648 W Vanowen St

Glendale, CA 91203                                                                       Van Nuys, CA 91406

(818) 246-7775                                                                               (818) 708-9775

Carousel (Hollywood)                                                                    Victory Produce

5112 Hollywood Boulevard #107                                                  13741 Victory Blvd

Los Angeles, CA 90027                                                                 Van Nuys, CA 91401

(323) 660-8060                                                                              (818) 997-7508

Mediterranean Bistro                                                                    Arax Groceries and Deli

19735 Rinaldi St                                                                           17644 Vanowen St

Porter Ranch, CA 91326                                                               Van Nuys, CA 91406

(818) 831-1122                                                                             (818) 705-0395

Koko’s Middle Eastern Restaurant                                               Jon’s Marketplace

16935 Vanowen St,                                                                       7134 Sepulveda Blvd

Van Nuys, CA 91406                                                                     Van Nuys, CA 91405

(818) 708-1877                                                                              (818) 455-4020

Aleppo’s Kitchen

513 1/2 S Brookhurst St

Anaheim, CA 92804

(714) 991-5000

Pastry Shops   

Maral’s Pastry

17654 Vanowen St

Van Nuys, CA 91406

(818) 705-8921

Sarkis Pastry

1111 S Glendale Ave

Glendale, CA 91205

(818) 956-6636

Sarkis Pastry

1776 E Washington Blvd

Pasadena, CA 91104

(626) 398-3999