DOOR COUNTY (NBC 26) — I'm giving you a sneak peek at a new restaurant in Ephraim and this place will open this summer and offer some dishes from the Mediterranean.
- Mukthar Aghazada is opening a new Mediterranean restaurant called Anatolia in Ephraim on May 1st.
- "I will try to bring my traditional my main food dishes from back home," said Aghazada.
- The former J-1 student says he wanted to return to Door County after working at two restaurants there in 2017, while taking part in the cultural exchange program.
(The following is a transcription of the full broadcast story)
The owner Mukthar Aghazada is turning his dreams into a reality.
He went through the J-1 program as a student. It's a cultural exchange opportunity that helps with professional growth and international understanding.
His restaurant, Anatolia Mediterranean Cuisine is bringing something new.
"I will try to bring my traditional my main food dishes from back home to show here," said Aghazada.
Aghzada is paying homage to his family's restaurant, “Anatolian,” in Azerbaijan.
Aghzada originally came to Fish Creek in 2017 as a J-1 student, working at Barringer's Restaurant and Julies Park Café, which are both in Fish Creek.
He continued to visit for many summers until graduation from Illinois State University in 2021 and he decided to come back and call it home.
"Where you're from is not where were you born I think it’s where you feel comfortable, you feel relaxed, so I feel more about here," explained Aghazada.
His restaurant will give visitors a chance to experience Mediterranean cuisine and culture without having to travel.
Some of the menu items include: Dolma, Kabobs, Baklava, Spanakopita, Kofte, and more.
"Mediterranean, it will be some dishes going to be from Greek, Turkey, it will be some like from the Middle East even and some food from Italy," said Aghzada. "Give the vibes to people so they feel really like when they come here. I want them to really feel that they're there. They're actually in Greece or they're in Italy."
Anatolia will be opening on May 1st and will be open seven days a week until October.
