Altim Grill & Bakery popped up a couple of months ago in a former Papa John’s space in Middleton. It serves Mediterranean cuisine plus baked goods.
It’s nice to see that vacant space on a busy stretch of University Avenue filled, especially with a restaurant serving up some delicious items.
For example, the blinchiki ($3.45) was packed with flavorful seasoned beef inside a wonderful crepe that had a hint of sweetness. I could have eaten a half-dozen of them. You also can get a version with cottage cheese ($2.95).
The beef gyro ($9.95) also was very good. The soft and sturdy pita bread was full of tender meat and the right amount of accompaniments. Interestingly, it also had a mayo-like sauce (in addition to tzatziki), which added more creaminess. It’s a bit nitpicky, but I thought the lettuce was unnecessary.
Another sandwich I enjoyed was the massive chicken doner in homemade bread ($10.95). The pita-like bread was slit in the middle and stuffed with delicious cubes of chicken seasoned with cumin plus lettuce, tomato and onion. Get some extra napkins if you order this.
The Olivier salad ($4.95) was a decent potato salad. The potatoes and carrots were diced into bite-sized pieces, which I appreciated, and they were accompanied by peas, cucumber, pickles, cilantro and some pieces of hard-boiled egg. I would have liked a little more seasoning, but thought it was fine otherwise.
Entrees include pelmeni and kebabs. Interestingly, Altim also serves wings and pizzas.
Among the bakery items, I tried the Azerbaijani baklava with walnuts ($4.50). The layered dessert was sweet and nutty. I also ordered Azerbaijani gata ($2.95), which is a butter-filled pastry, during a different meal but was mistakenly given a piece of baklava.
Altim Grill & Bakery serves lunch and dinner Monday through Saturday.
Tags: Mediterranean, Middleton
