Don’t forget about Atcha

Nicholson Drive has come a long way since Atcha Bakery & Cafe opened in 1998, what with the street’s stylish residential development and the recent suggestion in FUTUREBR to fortify its identity as a downtown-LSU connector by installing a streetcar line. Perched just north of campus at Nicholson and Aster Street, Atcha serves its own humble version of Greek-Lebanese fare. It remains one of my favorite local dives.

With more than 25 so-called Greek-Lebanese restaurants in town, including several locations of the stalwarts, Albasha, Arzi’s, Serop’s and Roman’s, this cuisine has been fully embraced by local diners for years. The “Greek-Lebanese” moniker was coined by restaurateur Jamal Roman in the early nineties as a way to attract more diners, but isn’t used widely elsewhere. But the proliferation of restaurants over the years has caused them to feel formulaic. Atcha is a hold-out, defined by its bare-bones décor, point-n-order wall pictures, student prices and menu gems.

The homemade hummus and silky, mellow babaganoush are well-balanced must-orders. The savory beef fatera is a welcome meat-topped pastry. And the homemade baked goods like ashta, pistachio or walnut baklava, date rolls and the nest-like basma, have helped secure the spot’s staying power. Each marries delicate flaky pastry with traditional sweet fillings and nutmeats.

The store used to sell Middle Eastern spices and grocery – it no longer does. But it still attracts students and professors on the hunt for something quick, filling, affordable and homemade.

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