Athar brings Mediterranean fine dining to the suburbs
The western suburbs are chock-full of dining options, but it's refreshing to find a mainstream alternative that quite possibly beats out the competition single-handedly.
Athar's fine Middle-Eastern cuisine, right in downtown Elmhurst, makes a wonderful special-occasion meal or just the place to satisfy a craving for savory flavors.
The scene
Lots of white defines the interior space, which is one large dining room with a curved white tile bar surrounded by white pillars forming something of an archaeological site - ruins being the name of the restaurant, if you translate it. White tablecloths, elaborate glass candleholders, and stone plates hanging off the wall illustrating thousand-year-old biblical scenes complete the attractive and elegant look.
The food
Traditional Middle-Eastern fare fills the menu, with grilled kebabs, small meza (appetizers), salads and even one monster creation - a $190 dish called the Athar flaming tower and consisting of 12 meat skewers.
As the complimentary hummus and warm pita bread was brought to us, we opted to try a Lebanese pilsner, as well as the mamaganoush - almost identical to hummus in its creamy consistency, but comprised of the always-winning combination of roasted zucchini and yogurt, together with tahini, garlic and lemon.
Next was the Fatoosh salad - crisp chopped lettuce, tomatoes and cucumbers garnished with parsley, onions and mint, all tossed with small crunchy roasted pita bread pieces and dressed in lemon and olive oil. We topped that off with a cup of the cream of lentil soup and decided we needed to rein ourselves in from reaching for the warm pita and instead wait for the meat dishes that were to come.
The menu has seen some updates lately, and one of the new additions is the Lebanese surf and turf. Since it came highly recommended by our server, we ordered it. We got one skewer of large, unpeeled grilled shrimp (done this way to preserve the flavor) and one skewer of excellent grilled lamb marinated in Athar's special seasoning. This was complemented by grilled veggies and white rice.
Our second dish of choice was the meat Maklouba (there is also a vegetarian counterpart) - with small pieces of beef and chicken topped with sautéed mushrooms in a special sauce, served over rice pilaf and sprinkled with chopped almonds. The special sauce gave the dish the unmistakable smell and taste of a wine kebab. As all entrees come with a wine pairing suggestion, we chose the one suggested with this dish - the Sterling Vintner's cabernet sauvignon - a medium-body cab with a definite and memorable fragrance.
After a few deep breaths, we decided on dessert, and baklava seemed only logical as one choice, so we combined it with the not-so-traditional chocolate lava cake. This was in addition to the compulsory Turkish coffee, of course. The baklava was, unfortunately, underwhelming, so it was the warm brownie-like cake with melted chocolate on the inside that won that battle. And if you ever want your fortune read, there is no better way to do it than with the cup left over from your Turkish coffee. Trust me.
The experience
It's always a good sign in a restaurant when you just can't stop eating and saying "this is so good" about a million times. High-quality food and attentive, but not overly familiar, service make this a destination well worth frequenting.
Athar
Facts: 149 N. Addison Ave., Elmhurst, (630) 530-8418, atharfinedine.com
Cuisine: Lebanese
Setting: Elegant and inviting setting makes it great for a celebration
Hours: 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Tuesday through Thursday; 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Friday; 4 to 10 p.m. Saturday; 2 to 9 p.m. Sunday
Price range: Appetizers $6-$12; entrees $16-$31