Growing up in the Middle East, the preparation of meals was an act of love in the home of Chef Oded Rauvenpoor.  Large family gatherings anchored by rich, flavorful food marked every milestone, holiday and event.  Helping his mother prepare the favorite meals of his Persian father and watching his Libyan grandmother create family recipes from a bygone era, Chef Oded developed a nuanced sense of flavor early in his life.

His connection to food runs deep. As a child, Rauvenpoor labored alongside his father, growing and selling fruits and vegetables for their family fruit stand. His first kitchen job was working pizza dough as a teenager. Sparked by a visit to the United States in 1995, Rauvenpoor was inspired by the diverse and varied cuisines offered in NYC restaurants. He was accepted to French Culinary Institute in 1997 under Dean Jacques Pépin, joining alumni greats such as Bobby Flay. After graduating, Oded spent the next years refining his skills at a multitude of kitchens across Manhattan and Montauk, culminating in a move to Portland, Oregon where he launched his business journey with a cafe he called The Lunchbox.

After settling in Buffalo, Rauvenpoor opened his first area restaurant in Depew, known as The Greek. Delving deep into the flavors of his Middle Eastern and North African heritage, Rauvenpoor cultivated the style of his classical French education and overlayed it with the taste of his family recipes. Since opening his first area restaurant in 2002, Rauvenpoor has developed into somewhat of a community staple, morphing The Greek into several locations of much-loved Middle Eastern restaurant, Falafel Bar.  Nearly thirty years after starting his culinary career, Chef Oded still finds daily inspiration from memories of his childhood kitchen.

Across cultures and countries, Food is love.