How Tal Baum built an Israeli restaurant empire in Atlanta

Restaurateur Tal Baum has put Israeli food on the map in a major way in Atlanta in the past five years. Photo credit: Andrew Thomas Lee.
A bowl of hummus and blistered flatbread next to it at Atlanta restaurant Aziza

Tal Baum didn’t mean to become an ambassador for Israeli food in Atlanta. Just as she didn’t plan to become a leading female restaurateur in the city as the founder of Oliva Restaurant Group

All she set out to do was connect her past and present through food.

Eight years and five restaurants later—three of which showcase modern Israeli cuisine—Baum’s desire has blossomed into a collection of restaurants that celebrates different chapters of her life and her heritage. And Atlanta has enthusiastically embraced each of these culinary stories, becoming all the more eager for the next. 

Baum is gearing up to open Carmel, a triple nod to all the coasts she’s ever loved, the mountain near where she grew up in Israel, and her daughter. 

Read on to learn how Baum built a restaurant empire in Atlanta and where she hopes to go next.

From Florence, with love

The Atlanta restaurateur Tal Baum in a white shirt standing against a green background.
Tal Baum debuted her first restaurant eight years ago in Atlanta. Photo credit: Oliva Restaurant Group.

Baum might be responsible for Atlanta’s introduction to Israeli food, but the conscious part of her journey began in Italy, where she lived for seven years after serving in the Israeli Defence Force. 

“Food was always a really predominant element in our family, in our house,” Baum says of her Israeli upbringing. “But living [in Italy], experiencing the connection between the place and its culture, and the way it plays in our day-to-day life was the first moment that I realized the absolute power of food and the important role it plays in shaping us as a society.” 

Baum’s experiences in Italy paved the way for her first Atlanta restaurant. Italian restaurant Bellina Alimentari opened in Ponce City Market in 2015 specializing in pastas with local ingredients including Georgia shrimp with green garlic tagliatelle and panino with housemade sausage. 

Bringing Israeli fine dining to Atlanta: Aziza

Satisfying her homesickness for Florence with Bellina Alimentari, her thoughts turned to the place she called home long before that: Israel. 

“I wanted people who have never been to Israel, who have only heard about Israel in the news to realize what [a] complex, rich, and exciting cuisine and culture we have to offer,” Baum says. 

That was no small task. “Modern Israeli cuisine has only developed over the past 20 years,” says Naama Shefi, founder of Asif Culinary Institute of Israel, making it difficult to label. 

The food of Israel is a composite of more than 80 cultures and Baum readily says that you can find many dishes in different forms throughout the region and nearby countries. 

“Israeli chefs don’t just think outside the box,” says Shefi, “they don’t know what the box is to begin with. This has led to a very expressive and bold culture… ideas and recipes travel at a rapid pace, then transform and combine in very interesting ways.”

The interior of the Atlanta restaurant Aziza with a wooden bar with a large windows at the back looking out on the street.
Baum opened Aziza in 2018 to showcase modern Israeli food in Atlanta. Photo credit: Andrew Thomas Lee

Baum created Aziza in 2018 with this welcoming, inclusive, and creative spirit.

“It means beautiful and kind in Arabic,” Baum says of the restaurant that shares its name with her mother-in-law. 

This date-night restaurant serves gorgeous, rich dishes such as lamb shanks with lentils, red chermoula, dates, tomato, pomegranate jus, and plentiful fresh herbs; roasted vegetables such as cauliflower tagine with muhammara, hawaig spice, almonds, raisins, and rice; or simple small plates including roasted beets with feta, crème fraîche, and honey.  

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A taste of the streets: Falafel Nation

A pita sandwich with French fries on the side at Atlanta fast casual restaurant Falafel Nation
Falafel Nation pays homage to Baum’s grandmother and her falafel stand. Photo credit: Andrew Thomas Lee.

Baum countered her fine-dining masterpiece with Falafel Nation, a counter-service spot on the other side of Aziza that highlights the accessible side of Israeli food. A food she knew well from time spent sitting on the counter of her grandmother’s falafel stand after school.

The ANU Museum of the Jewish People in Tel Aviv calls falafel “the ultimate Israeli national dish.” You can find it on the ancient streets of Israel from Jerusalem to Jaffa doused in sauces such as tzatziki and schug and toppings including cucumber, tomato salad, and sumac slaw.

In true modern Israeli tradition, Baum makes a few swaps to reflect the local bounty, such as using peaches in place of fermented mangoes.

Warm, casual vibes: Rina

Falafel Nation paved the way for Rina, a homey establishment named after her grandmother that opened in 2020.

“We emphasize fun, colorful, healthy, and delicious food with bright and pungent flavors,” Baum says. 

This means platters of Jaffa fried fish seasoned with falafel spice, green tahini, and Aleppo pepper, lamb burgers on challah with fries and harissa mayo for dipping, and chicken shawarma pitas slathered with baba ghanouj. 

In addition, BeltLine walkers will find refreshment in tahini-based and Turkish coffee milkshakes and slushies.

The interior of Atlanta restaurant Rina with black and white tile floors and a wood-topped bar.
Rina is a casual alternative to the Israeli fine dining at Aziza. Photo credit: Andrew Thomas Lee.

Next: the world

Baum is gearing up to open Carmel, a restaurant with an Israeli link but global reach.

The connector will be “the feeling and sensation you get from being on the coast—the ocean breeze, the freedom, the elements that make you feel so good when you’re next to water,” Baum says. 

Carmel will be influenced by California, the Yucatan, and the Mediterranean—all places that celebrate seafood and seasonal produce.

Expect dishes such as agua chile with cured snapper, coconut, and cucumber, lobster cannelloni with caviar, and pork belly tostadas with cucumber pico de gallo and chili crisp.

But above all, expect the personal connection and bombastic Israel-influenced flavor profiles that have made Oliva Restaurant Group so beloved among Atlantans.

SuJit Lin is an Atlanta-based writer specializing in travel, food—including groceries, cooking, and reference guides—and their impact on bringing people together in shared joy and experience.

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