A native of Egypt and a naturalized U.S. citizen, Atwa immigrated to the United States in 1980. He learned his culinary arts in the kitchens of several New York restaurants during that decade, including Maxwell's Plum and Tre Scalini. Before opening Magdy's, he was the adored chef of the MVP Room in the Boston Connection.

Dining at Magdy's is exactly that-- dining. Dinner is unhurried, relaxing and conducive to genuine conversation and camaraderie. If 10-minute entrees and raucous noise from the bar is your thing, go elsewhere.