ENTREPRENUER-RESTAURATEUR-DESIGNER-AUTHOR

I’m Rose, the chef & owner of DC’s acclaimed restaurants and bars including Michelin-recognized Maydan, Medina, and SOOK as well as the newly launched Maydan Market in Los Angeles, a diverse collection of culinary gems under one roof anchored by a live fire hearth.

A few years ago, I ventured into the wine world and co-founded Go There Wines, a social impact wine company that uplifts the stories of winemakers changing the game (and making damn good wine while doing it) in their industry. I also have a cookbook, Maydān, that explores bold flavors, accessible, shareable recipes, and overlapping foodways, spanning from Lebanon to Morocco, from Oman to the Republic of Georgia. 

Raised in a food-loving Sicilian-Lebanese family in Ohio, my first food job was in my mother’s Middle Eastern catering business and restaurant. I later spent more than a decade working in bars and restaurants while pursuing a master’s degree in Public Policy from George Mason University. My connection to food and passion for hospitality runs deep.