Change is always good, says Fay Zand, owner of Phoenicia Mediterranean Restaurant in Highland Park.
In one sense, the establishment needs no introduction; it has been in its First Street location for 16 years. But Zand, who assumed ownership in July 2016, has instituted changes to the menu and presentation, while maintaining community traditions, such as hosting a Seder on the first night of Passover.
“I love owning a restaurant,” she said. “I’m not a chef, but I’m a good cook. I can handle 75 people in my own house, although it takes me a week to prepare.” In the past six months, Phoenicia has expanded its horizons to offer a “fusion” of signature dishes that represent the entire Mediterranean region.
On the menu: “The menu had not been changed in more than a decade,” Zand said. “It was time to update it. We offer all of the same recipes (from the previous owner), but we’ve added dishes from other Mediterranean cultures. We also now have a lunch menu and we offer carry-out and delivery. We now have desserts made from scratch, including a mocha cake, chocolate raspberry cake and creme caramel. The presentation has changed and we have gotten a lot of compliments. There are a rose and candles on every table, we switched to LED lighting, and we completely remodeled the back hallway and bathrooms.”
Newcomers: “We’ve added a Persian eggplant dish,” she said. “A salmon couscous curry dish was once offered everyday as a daily special, but if you offer it every day, it’s not special. So we put it on the menu. It’s a winner. Everything is made from scratch our fish is fresh every day.”
Coming soon: “We plan to offer live music every Friday night. We will also soon offer brunch on Saturday and Sunday,” Zand said.
About the owners: “The clientele will come back as long as they know they will be treated with dignity and respect,” Zand said “And we are here seven days a week. We welcome guests with a smile. They like it. I like it; I like to be remembered when I go somewhere and they say, ‘Welcome back, Fay, it’s nice to see you.'”
We’re different because: “Not every suburb offers Mediterranean cuisine. A gentleman and his wife drove from Naperville about a month ago, so we appreciate that. You can eat anywhere, but when you come back, that tells you the food was good and you felt welcomed.”
Prices: $5.95 for a bowl of homestyle soups; $4.95-$7.95 for hot appetizers; $16.95 for Hummus with sautéed meat; $26.95 for couscous shrimp curry. $22.95 for lamb brochettes; $26.95 for stuffed salmon Phoenician-style; $26.95 for couscous shrimp curry.
Location: 1910 First St., Highland Park
Hours: 3 p.m to 9 p.m. Sunday-Monday; 11:30 a.m. to 9 p.m. Tuesday-Thursday; 11:30 a.m. to 10 p.m. Friday-Saturday.
Contact: 847-266-9990, www.phoeniciacuisine.com
Donald Liebenson is a freelance reporter for the News-Sun.
