From growing up in an Armenian household surrounded by food to working in some of New York’s most respected kitchens, Ararat El-Rawi’s journey to opening Café Little Armenia is a story of culture, grit, and craft. We talk about how a small COVID pop-up outside his Brooklyn apartment evolved into one of Greenpoint’s most soulful neighborhood restaurants, driven by a deep respect for hospitality and the belief in getting “better today than yesterday.”

In this episode, Ararat reflects on building a restaurant that feels like home, the realities of turning passion into a business, and why success is measured not just in revenue but in the people who sit at your tables. It’s a conversation about authenticity, community, and the long road toward finding your place in the food world.

• (00:00:12) - Handling The Heat
• (00:01:26) - Local cuisine in the Greenpoint neighborhood
• (00:02:56) - As a child, food was central to my life
• (00:09:07) - Celebrating food in the family
• (00:10:35) - Interview
• (00:11:54) - Andrew Zimmer on Working At New York's Top Restaurants
• (00:16:22) - Waiter on Starting His Career in Minneapolis
• (00:20:37) - Guys Training for the Job
• (00:23:52) - Learning From Chef Dave
• (00:24:55) - Chef Aramat Armenian's Pop Up
• (00:29:15) - Three Restaurants Leased From the Landlord
• (00:33:32) - The Comfort of Being a Waitress
• (00:35:44) - What Does Our Success Mean To You?