The owner of Sarah's Kitchen on Broadway in Saratoga Springs left a high-paying engineering job, faced family opposition and even considered selling a kidney to open a restaurant serving the Middle Eastern cuisine he grew up eating.
“I love the work I do here,” Ali said.
Ali, petite and charismatic, was born and raised in Dubai to Egyptian parents who expected her and her siblings to pursue careers in engineering or medicine. For years, she lived up to those expectations. She went to Cairo for college and earned a master's in engineering. She got a job with Siemens, working in Egypt and then California before moving to the New York metropolitan area with her then-husband and having two young children, Adam and Mia.
Her interest in cooking was inspired by her family. Her mother, a doctor, cooked fresh meals for her as a child. It was during her college years that Ali had her first taste of McDonald's fries. Her culinary journey began in Cairo, where she was taking care of her three siblings, who were also studying at the time.
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“I'm not one of those people who just takes a recipe, runs with it and says, 'Oh, great,'” Ali says. “I think engineering has given me the mindset to just research, try, fail, then tweak it a little bit and see what happens.”
Soon after moving to the Saratoga Springs area and her daughter, Mia, was born, Ali began inviting other parents over for dinner and hangouts. Her cooking became so popular that she was hosting guests every weekend. Her friends, many of whom had never tried Middle Eastern food, soon encouraged her to take her cooking outside the home.
After receiving rave reviews, she decided to take her recipes to local markets, and in 2022, Ali began selling her shawarma and hummus at local markets, including the Spa City Farmers Market and Schenectady Green Market.
“I was really surprised. First of all, I was overwhelmed by the amount. How much do I have to cook? … A lot of logistics. [manual] “It's a birth I'm not used to,” Ali said.
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But the experience confirmed she was on the right path, as her food quickly sold out in almost every market, and when a kitchen space became available in the food court at Wilton Mall, she decided to cook full-time.
“People knew me and I was able to bring people from Albany and Troy to the mall,” Ali said.
She continued to operate there until the space at 419 Broadway became available.
Ali said it took months of renovations and paperwork to get permission from the city to open her store. Meanwhile, she was going through divorce proceedings and her parents, who live in Egypt, were not supportive of her business.
“[My dad] “I feel embarrassed. I feel so sad. I've been making him happy for 13 years of my life, why can't I be happy?” Ali said.
On top of that, finances were getting tight and rent was coming due.
“I was desperate. I keep my promises. So if I say to the landlord, 'I'll give you money,' I'll give you money,” Ali said. “So I contacted a few hospitals and got them to sell me my kidney. I was not kidding.”
Luckily, that didn't happen, and she received a business permit from the city a few months after moving to that location, and opened Sarah's Kitchen on Broadway in May.
The restaurant is bustling, with velvet turquoise bench seating designed by Ali, and the atmosphere is lively and upscale, despite the affordable menu prices.
“Some people, especially young people, come here and see the stores and think it's a high-end store,” Ali said.
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She's offering counter service, but hopes to offer a full-service dinner option soon. For now, she's been pretty busy. Within minutes of opening on a recent Wednesday morning, customers were streaming in, some for the first time, while others had been coming to Sarah's Kitchen since it was in Wilton Mall and had complimentary comments to Ali about the new space.
For patrons, a meal at Sara's Kitchen is a kind of culinary education: Ali notices that most are familiar with Mediterranean cuisine, which has a similar name to her Middle Eastern food but different tastes and textures.
“Just because it has the same name doesn't mean it's the same. They have falafel, we have falafel, but ours is different. They make it with chickpeas, we make it with fava beans. The texture is different, the colour is different,” Ali said.
She explains the differences to customers, including pronunciation differences: If they ask for baklava, for example, she will point them to the Middle Eastern version called baklawa, which is a phyllo dough layered with walnuts, pecans, and cinnamon and drizzled with maple syrup.
“Okay, next time you come and want to buy it and say 'baklava,' I won't sell it to you,” Ali said.
Ditto for her Limo Nana, a refreshing blend of lime and mint that's similar to a mojito, minus the rum.
“I joke around, but at the same time, I want them to tell me the truth,” Ali said.
Another surprise is the stuffed grape leaves, dolma, which some diners might expect to be served cold. Instead, this hand-rolled appetizer is served hot with rice and tomatoes mixed with warm spices.
One of the most popular dishes on the menu, the chicken shawarma, features fries piled high with chicken and dill pickles, and is paired with a garlic cream called toum.
The menu also includes hummus, pita chips, sambosak, fat toque and tabbouleh, all of which have been inspired and improved upon by recipes Ali grew up with.
Since opening, she, like many restaurateurs, has struggled to find staff and balance regular restaurant hours with a variety of special events and the Spa City Farmers Market.
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But the latter feels like a second home.
“I just feel happy. I can't wait for the people I used to meet and the tourists to come because this is the second year in a row they have come to my booth,” Ali said.
She hopes to foster that same atmosphere in her restaurants.
“want [people] “I want this to feel like Sarah's home, which is what I would call it if it wasn't Sarah's Kitchen,” Ali says. “I don't have a family, so I want to connect with people through food, and I want my kids to connect with people too.”
“I'm a big believer in karma, so if you treat people the way you deserve, be kind and gentle and give even if you don't have money, it will come back to you and your children, and even if it doesn't come back to you, you need to feel like you get a sense of satisfaction when you help someone.”
Sara's Kitchen is located at 419 Broadway in Saratoga Springs. For more information, visit saraskitchen518.com
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Photo: Sarah's Kitchen, Saratoga Springs
The exterior of Sara's Kitchen, located at 419 Broadway in Saratoga Springs.
Sarah's Kitchen is located at 419 Broadway in Saratoga Springs.
Inside Sara's Kitchen, located at 419 Broadway in Saratoga Springs.
Inside Sara's Kitchen, located at 419 Broadway in Saratoga Springs.
The counter at Sara's Kitchen, 419 Broadway in Saratoga Springs.
Stuffed grape leaves from Sarah's Kitchen in Saratoga Springs.
Inside Sara's Kitchen, located at 419 Broadway in Saratoga Springs.
Sara Ali stands at the counter at Sara's Kitchen, 419 Broadway in Saratoga Springs.
Sara Ali stands at the counter at Sara's Kitchen, 419 Broadway in Saratoga Springs.
Global Dinner in Schenectady's Central Park – Bite-sized bites
Guilderland Restaurant Week Set – Bite-sized
Grasso family raises funds to repair 1950s Italian ice truck in Saratoga Springs
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