Today we’d like to introduce you to Walid Alarja and Lena Quezada.
Evoking the magic of the ancient world, Walid Alarja, was born to cook! Walid started as an apprentice cook as a child where the culture of food was a staple in of itself. He built the foundation of his career as he helped with preparation of daily meals and special events at his family’s restaurants and esteemed hotel in Bethlehem. Clearly, these experiences fostered an early passion for cooking. Walid received his culinary education in Alexandria, Egypt where he became a graduate of the elite French Culinary Institute.
After completing his education, Walid returned to Bethlehem to work at Everest hotel, the hotel that his family owned and worked there for 10 years. He was then recruited to work at Talitha Kumi, a German Evangelical Lutheran School. Walid has over 30 years of experience in the Culinary Arts and is a Master Chef specializing in the authentic preparation of Mediterranean Cuisine.
In 2009, he followed his family to America after an unforeseen tragedy. Leaving his life behind, he had to start over to support his family. Cuisine was all he knew, so he opened a small mom and pop Mediterranean restaurant, where he met his future partner Lena.
Together, with Lena’s real estate background, they found a location in Brea and opened D’Vine. After three highly successful years, they ventured to opening a second location in Fullerton. Walid’s ability to orchestrate culinary feasts, including extraordinary family meals with undeniable panache, has won him praise on two continents.
Walid’s commitment to fresh and healthy ingredients will delight you! Indulge in this Mediterranean Experience at D’Vine!
Has it been a smooth road?
There were certainly obstacles! Letting people know who we were was the toughest, and we had to rely upon word of mouth and patience to help us build our base. Building a brand was also a unique difficulty early on, but the support of our community and the friends we have made along the way have helped us be where we are today.
We’d love to hear more about your business.
D’Vine is an authentic Mediterranean restaurant, specializing in the flavors of the Middle East. We are open daily for lunch and dinner. We have hosted numerous business meetings, wedding receptions, birthdays, bridal and baby showers. We have a belly dancer on Friday and Saturday nights which brings a lot of enjoyment to individuals of all ages, and we are pet friendly! We also offer a plethora of options for vegetarians and vegans.
Walid grew up in a tradition where food was prepared entirely of what was harvested fresh from the garden. This approach is still being instilled in his restaurants here. Everything is cooked with the freshest ingredients, our vegetables are hand cut daily and our filet and lamb are cooked with artful simplicity, as we allow the flavors to take center stage. We embody the authenticity of a Lebanese kitchen, you are eating the hummus as you would in Jerusalem. Our most requested dishes are our chicken shawarma and the lamb chops.
What sets us apart is that we are not a fusion restaurant, we specialize in one type of cuisine and we do it well. We are proud of being able to bring this type of experience to North Orange County, and we are proud of the friends we have made along the way.
Is our city a good place to do what you do?
Both cities we are involved in are bustling hubs for cuisine for all of northern Orange County, offering a wide variety of restaurants and bars. Fullerton certainly has a more of an eclectic demographic, whereas Brea is more family oriented. Both cities are a great place to have a business, as both have a tradition of community amongst its restaurants. This local support makes both cities a great place to start a business.
Contact Info:
- Address: 955 E Birch St., Brea CA 92831
132 W Commonwealth Ave, Fullerton, CA 92832 - Website: www.dvineexperience.com
- Phone: 714.990.0100 (brea) & 714.592.0001 (Fullerton)
- Email: [email protected]
- Instagram: https://instagram.com/dvine
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/dvinefullerton / https://www.facebook.com/dvinebrea
- Twitter: twitter.com/dvine_exp
- Yelp: https://yelp.to/aTKq/iPxPVw6WMH / https://www.yelp.com/biz/d-vine-fullerton?utm_source=ishare
Getting in touch: VoyageLA is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you know someone who deserves recognition please let us know here.
