Yella, which means “Come On, Let’s Go”, is a Modern Mediterranean Grille located in the heart of downtown Andover.  Chef/Owner Carlo Berdahn and his wife Danielle bring a fresh dinning option to the Merrimack Valley.  The intimate space and updated décor provide a warm and relaxed atmosphere.  The crisp linens and open layout give the dining room a comfortable and inviting setting.  For a more casual lunch, the dining room is bathed in sunlight from the floor to ceiling windows.  Once night falls, though, the dimmed lighting creates a stylish, intimate ambiance.  Lending the perfect backdrop for the luscious new Mediterranean cuisine that is served there. 

Ample, simple, and exciting to the palate, it is stylishly presented and brilliantly structured.  Lebanese inspired, the fare remains true to the hearty traditions of regional cooking; warm soups, dark lentils, subtle teasing spices, velvety risotto, crispy pan seared fish, succulent lamb and tempting desserts.  Chef Berdahn uses his culinary expertise to create classic, yet modern Mediterranean dishes. 

Chef Carlo Berdahn was born and raised in North Lebanon.  From the time he was a child, he was destined to become a chef.  His early culinary exposure was from his mother and the many feasts she would prepare for their large family.  In this war torn country as everyone would come together, loving, laughing, and enjoying each other, Carlo says “I realized the immense power that food had to bring people together.”   This inspired him to receive his degree in Hotel Management from the Lebanese University Al-Ab-Nader and to become a chef at the country’s most prestigious hotel, The Intercontinental Beirut.  At the Intercontinental, Carlo was classically trained in seven different cooking styles, including French, Italian, Middle Eastern and Thai.

In 2001 Carlo brought his culinary skills to the United States.  He opened Phonecia Cafe in Orleans, Massachusetts on Cape Cod.  Combining his classic training and his own family traditions, Carlo created Mediterranean dishes that quickly caught the attention of the community and media alike.  Cape Dinning Out raved, “Genuine…Delectable…and you really should sample his work.”  Cape Cod Times boasted, “(Phonecia Café) injects some new energy into the Orleans food scene.”

After the sale of his restaurant in 2006 Carlo became a Chef for renowned catering company, The Catered Affair.  During his time at The Catered Affair he executed culinary events for many notables including First Lady Laura Bush, Red Sox Owner John Henry and Senators Ted Kennedy and John Kerry.

But his passion for running his own restaurant never waned.  Carlo is now using his passion and world class cooking experience to craft Yella, The Modern Mediterranean Grille that Andover diners cannot wait to frequent. “We had been looking a long time for the right place and we’re thrilled to find a home in Andover Center”, says Carlo, “Yella is really a unique place and we are excited to introduce our food to the community.”