Altim Grill and Bakery opens brick-and-mortar in Middleton | MADISON MAGAZINE

Altim Grill & Bakery, an authentic Azerbaijani catering business, opened a storefront on Feb. 26 at 6615 University Ave. in Middleton. Chef Natalia and her husband, Seymour, entered the restaurant business with a catering service after immigrating to the United States.

When Natalia noticed there weren’t any local Azerbaijani food options, she wanted to “introduce authentic Azerbaijan, Mediterranean and Eastern European cuisine to the Madison area.” Last year, a dinner event with Tables Across Borders helped launch Natalia’s early business into the Madison culinary scene. The Wisconsin-based organization uplifts refugee chefs by providing mentorship and financial support in hopes of bridging divides through “cultural exchange at the dinner table.” At the event hosted by Pasture and Plenty, Natalia saw guests enjoying her food, and afterwards, she gained more clients and orders. This encouraged her to continue scaling her business.

“I want Altim Grill and Bakery to become a place where the community can enjoy fresh, homemade food, traditional pastries and warm hospitality,” Natalia says.

The menu includes lamb, chicken, beef and vegetable kebabs, as well as appetizers like vegetable dolma, which are grape leaves stuffed with vegetables and herbs. Natalia enjoys baking especially; the bakery offers gata — a sweet, layered pastry with butter filling — and an Azerbaijani baklava with walnuts.

Altim Grill & Bakery still plans to take catering orders, while the new restaurant in Middleton will primarily serve to-go orders for now. Eventually, Natalia hopes to open a dine-in restaurant.

“It has taken a lot of hard work, patience and dedication,” Natalia says. “This restaurant is not only a business for me — it’s a way to share my culture, my traditional food and my passion for cooking with the community.”

Maddy Scharrer is an editorial intern at Madison Magazine.