Tech CEO Jay Salkini opened Baltimore’s Ammoora restaurant in the Ritz Carlton complex off Key Highway in the hopes of silencing critics who were skeptical of a Syrian eatery dedicated to both tradition and opulence. Now, less than two years later, his concept is listed among The New York Times’ best restaurants of 2024.

The restaurant is the only eatery in Maryland to make the cut.

Ammoora, which translates in Arabic to “beautiful” and “loving,” rose to prominence for its homestyle Syrian cuisine based off cookbooks from Salkini’s mother and its ostentatious atmosphere. Velvet drapes cover plush booths and brass arches mark the entrance to a tiled dining room with stained glass windows and a stone fountain. Times wine critic Eric Asimov described the restaurant as “ambitious, elegant” and a “revelation” for anyone invested in Middle Eastern takeout classics.

“Even a familiar hummus or baklava can make you feel as if your eyes have been opened, revealing vivid new colors,” he wrote.

Asimov spotlights items on the menu, including muhammara, a spread of red peppers, walnuts, chile and pomegranate molasses; kofta kawaj, a spiced ground lamb with sweet eggplant and onions in a tomato sauce; and kebbet karaz, minced lamb with cinnamon, pine nuts and a cherry sauce that Salkini strived to make from Aleppo-grown cherries, known for their tart flavor. The dish achieves a “thrilling balance of sweet and sour, spicy and breezy,” Asimov wrote.

Salkini told The Banner last year that going to Ammoora would feel like a homecoming for the city’s growing Syrian population. It would also show patrons there was a rich culture emanating from the Levant region beyond the less-than-savory news headlines.

“Everybody knows what’s going on in the Middle East and how people look at certain communities,” he said.

His co-founder Markie Britton previously referred to Ammoora as an “elegant reflection of a destination that some may never make it to.” She said Tuesday that the Federal Hill restaurant was elated and surprised to be the only local spot highlighted.

The New York Times compiled notes on the esteemed eateries over a 12-month period; 32 of the 50 restaurants included have newly opened since last year’s list.

Last year, Little Donna’s in Baltimore made the newspaper’s 2023 restaurant roll call for “the 50 places in the United States that we’re most excited about right now.” The eatery, which was the only one from Maryland on the list that year, received an onslaught of praise and surging crowds after the appearance — followed months later by another callout on the 22 best pizza places in the country list.