Elgin-area foodies may see some familiar faces if they check out Cafe Zaytun, the newly opened Mediterranean restaurant in the Tyler Creek Plaza on the city’s northwest side.
Behind a stone oven imported from Lebanon is chef/manager Hilana Yousef, who for 25 years worked at Larsa’s, the Mediterranean street food business that for many years had been attached to a BP gas station not far from Cafe Zaytun’s location near Big Timber Road and McLean Boulevard.
For the last three years, Larsa’s operated as a ghost kitchen inside Big Skillet, which is now Cafe Zaytun’s location.
Hilana Yousef, chef/manager of the new Cafe Zaytun in Elgin, places a flatbread pizza she just made into the restaurant’s brick oven. (Mike Danahey/The Courier-News)
Cafe manager Nick Kinton, who formerly worked at Star Cinema Grill in South Barrington and Moretti’s in Barrington, said Larsa’s owner Sargon Boudakh seized the opportunity when Big Skillet owner George Arsoniadis wanted to retire.
Big Skillet closed in December so the mom-and-pop-style diner could be remodeled into a brightly decorated eatery with a Mediterranean feel. A good number of the old staff are now employed at Cafe Zaytun, Kinton said.
The new restaurant’s name comes from the Arabic word zaytun, which means olive or olive tree — a symbol of peace. A faux olive tree can be found in its dining area, and they offer offers olive-oil infused cocktails, Kinton said.
“That involves a process called flat washing, infusing olive oil’s flavor into the spirits, adding a floral yet savory taste,” he said.
Among the drinks they serve is a “Zaatini,” made with vodka, dry vermouth and za’atar, a blend of Middle Eastern herbs, Kinton said.
Among the Mediterranean specialties on the menu at the newly opened Cafe Zaytun in Elgin is the kifta kabob plate. (Cafe Zaytun)
The menu offeres many of the favorites served by Larsa’s, including falafel, gyros, kabobs and shawarma, as well as dishes that reflect Boudakh’s and Yousef’s Assyrian roots.
The Zaytun burger, for example, is made with Mediterranean-seasoned beef, feta, pickled onions, arugula and a Lebanese style garlic sauce. They also offer an Assyrian-style meatloaf and a tahini-topped Philly cheesesteak.
Boudakh uses a brick oven imported from Lebanon to prepare a half dozen or so varieties of flatbreads, including three vegetarian options, Kinton said.
“We’re casual dining and a bit upscale, too, but with competitive pricing. Nothing on our menu is more than $25. That (highest priced item) is a 12-ounce sumac and red wine glazed short rib.”
Cafe Zaytun has opened in the location formerly occupied by Big Skillet, near Big Timber Road and McLean Boulevard in Elgin. (Mike Danahey/The Courier-News)
Kinton said this is his first experience opening a new restaurant. “I’ve enjoyed the process and learning new things,” he said.
Yousef said regulars from Larsa’s, including doctors, dentists, local hospital staff, police officers and firefighters, have been by to check out the new eatery since its March 7 opening. She’s happy to be able to accommodate large groups, she said.
“The kitchen here’s so huge,” Yousef said.
Cafe Zaytun is open from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Sunday through Thursday and 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. It offers catering, carryout, delivery, online ordering and private event rental space.
Mike Danahey is a freelance reporter for The Courier-News.
Hilana Yousef and Nick Kinton, who share management duties at the newly opened Cafe Zaytun in Elgin, stand in front of the brick oven imported from Lebanon that’s used for flatbreads. (Mike Danahey/The Courier-News)
Dining and Cooking