The first thing that strikes customers who walk into the Moondance Diner in Westmont is the whimsical, pastel cartoon animals on the wall. The second thing that grabs the attention is the whimsical, friendly service. The third thing is the not-so-whimsical, reasonable prices.
But what keeps customers coming back to this year-and-a-half-old restaurant named for a co-owner’s favorite Van Morrison song is the imaginative, satisfying menu and family-friendly atmosphere.
Owned by Kansas City-based food impresarios Jeff Saplis and Ron Hendrix and local restaurateur Tom Runkle, Moondance attracts a broad cross-section of the Du Page populace-corporate types in the morning, yuppies and families for lunch, more families in the early evening, and couples or groups at night.
All are treated to specialties such as hearty and healthy skillet breakfasts and homemade wheat-germ pancakes; grilled garlic chicken; large, fresh salads; and current favorites including White Velvet, which features delicately spiced chicken, mushrooms and asparagus in an alfredo sauce, and the Sunset Grill, a Kansas City-style barbecue pork and chicken combination.
More standard diner fare, such as the classic BLT, chicken salad and hamburger, is also available. Prices for most items range from under $1 for toast or a bagel to more than $14 for certain catch-of-the-day entrees.
But with customers increasingly focused on lighter and healthier eating, Moondance is trying to serve something new while still satisfying patrons’ urges for home cooking, said general manager Scott Zimmer.
“Now we don’t have any beef on the menu other than the hamburger, whereas before we offered steaks,” Zimmer said. “The trend with customers is chicken or seafood with fresh vegetables, grilled or using only the lightest amount of oil, without heavy cream sauces. So that’s what we offer.”
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Moondance Diner, in St. James Crossing shopping center at Ogden Avenue between Illinois Highway 83 and Pasquinelli Drive in Westmont, is open 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday through Thursday, 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. Friday and Saturday, and 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. Sunday. Call 655-1840, or fax 655-1842.
