Home-Style Armenian Food Comes to Somerville

After completely gutting and renovating the College Avenue storefront formerly occupied by the Broken Yolk, a Somerville native and her husband will formally open their new restaurant, Noor Mediterranean Grill, on Friday.

Hllda Darian said she and her husband, Arsen Karageozian, had long dreamed of opening their own eatery in Somerville, and as of Tuesday they were busy putting the finishing touches on the 136 College Ave. space in order to celebrate the restaurant's grand opening on Jan. 24.

The two, both in their early 30s, are of Armenian descent. Darian grew up on Elm Street in Somerville, attending the Kennedy School and Somerville High School, and her husband, in addition to working as a manager and owner at various restaurants, was formerly executive chef at an Intercontinental Hotel in Lebanon, Darian said.

That family background and experience will help guide the restaurant's menu and cooking, she said. It will feature a mixture of Armenian and Lebanese flavors.

Noor Mediterranean Grill will have a "Middle Eastern vibe," she said, and it will have a "small and simple menu" featuring staples like shawarma, shish kebab, humus and falafel.

Those dishes will be created as "home style cooked meal[s]," Darian said. "You'll feel like you're in your grandma's kitchen."

"Noor," in Armenian, means pomegranate, she said, and it's a symbol of prosperity and fertility. The pomegranate design will be featured throughout the restaurant.

Darian said she and her husband bought the business from the former owner of Broken Yolk in September and have spent the past few months completely renovating the space. This includes new walls and completely new electrical and plumbing systems. "It's sparkling clean inside," she said.

Noor Mediterranean Grill will have a 25-seat dine-in area, and it will also offer takeout and delivery. Darian said it will offer a "healthy delivery food" option to the area's residents and college students.

The Grand Opening begins at 12 p.m. Friday.

Noor Mediterranean Grill
facebook.com/noorgrill
136 College Ave.
(617) 625-6667
Hours: Sunday-Thursday, 10 a.m. to 10 p.m.; Friday-Saturday, 10 a.m. to 12 a.m.