Saratoga restaurant owners open Dar in Los Gatos’s Soda Works Plaza
Milad Shaqir says former Eleven College Avenue space feels like ‘coming home’.
A hot restaurant spot in Los Gatos’s Soda Works Plaza has a new name, new owners and a new menu. Dar has replaced Eleven College Avenue at the eponymous address.
“We have so much love and respect for this place,” says new owner Milad Shaqir, who lived and worked in Los Gatos for 10 years, when the location was first Tapestry and then Nick’s Next Door. “It was our go-to place for all kinds of occasions, and my wife and I loved sitting out on that patio, next to that beautiful redwood tree.
“It always felt like coming home for us, and that is why we call it Dar, which literally means ‘house (of)’ or ‘family (of)’ and symbolizes the essence of home, warmth and hospitality, where every door opens to welcome friends, family and guests with open arms.”
Shaqir co-owns Dar with his brother, Chef Esam Shaqir. The siblings hail from Nazareth, where they grew up learning their family recipes.
“My mother always sourced her spices from a neighborhood shop in nearby Tamra, and that’s where we get many of our spices and rubs,” Shaqir says. “That is the inspiration for the name of our first restaurant, Tamra Mediterranean Grill in Saratoga.”
The brothers, who both worked at Bella Saratoga restaurant for 10 years, have built a following for their uniquely flavored dishes like roasted lamb, grilled ribeye and chicken shawarma. At Dar you’ll find Aegean mussels with tomatoes, capers and oregano; and Casablanca carpaccio, featuring house-cured salmon with arugula, red onion, red bell pepper, capers and dill-Dijon dressing. There’s also Zahra—roasted cauliflower topped with tahini and roasted pine nuts—and of course, falafel.
Lunch will feature a tangy beet salad with mandarins, haloumi salad with fried haloumi and citrus olive oil dressing, and a Mediterranean harvest salad with roasted eggplant, arugula, pomegranate seeds, cherry tomatoes, garlic labneh dressing and goat cheese.
Sandwiches include the falafel pita with tahini, eggplant pita with chermoula, or lamb pita with tarragon tzatziki sauce. The Dar burger is served with caramelized onions and harissa garlic sauce on a ciabatta roll.
For dinner, Shaqir says they’ll prepare a special vegetarian moussaka, featuring mashed potatoes as an alternative to the traditional Béchamel sauce. Fear not: There will be pomegranate braised lamb shanks, ribeye steaks and short ribs served with harissa potatoes.
Also on the Dar dinner menu are two pastillas, duck confit and savory garden vegetable, both encased in a crispy pastry shell. Other dinner items include saffron risotto primavera, a fileted Moroccan sea bream with basil chermoula stuffing, and a whole European Branzino served with basil lemon-garlic sauce.
Those looking for plant-based, high-protein options will find side dishes like mujaddara—lentils cooked with rice and sautéed onions—couscous pilaf, and smoked green durum wheat known as freekeh. The latter has 8 grams of protein per half cup serving, while mujaddara boasts 12.
Shaqir praises his brother’s ability to blend many different flavors and ingredients from diverse Bay Area cultures. “Esam is a very talented chef, and has learned so much from all the places he worked. He has developed his own style and flavors, and his food is simply delicious.”
No competition
Suhail Karimi, former proprietor of Eleven College Avenue, says that after four years of trying to make his restaurant concept work, he has decided to take a break from the culinary business. He recently welcomed a baby son into the family, and found this a good time to focus on domestic duties.
Karimi has high praise for the Shaqir brothers, who have had their eye on this spot for at least a year. Having eaten at Tamra, Karimi says, “I don’t think there’s another spot in Los Gatos that competes with them, outside of Orren’s Hummus, for ethnicity of food.”
Shaqir, whose family came to America in 1994 and lived on the East Coast for two years before moving to Los Gatos, went to West Valley College and then transferred to Chico State. He worked as a bartender at California Café from 2006 to 2008, and says he was meant for a career in hospitality, as was his brother Esam, who also attended West Valley College. He relishes the challenges of working in the fast-paced and demanding environment.
“When people ask if we can cater an event for 100 people, I say, ‘Sure, we can make it happen.’ We will always provide our customers with exemplary service,” Shaqir says. “We try our best to be accommodating. If you want us to make a certain dish in a certain way for a special gathering, we are going to do it.”
Dar will initially be open for lunch and dinner Tuesday-Sunday, 11:30 a.m.-10 p.m. Shaqir says he plans to have brunch on weekends starting at 10 a.m., featuring Mediterranean treats like shakshuka and frittata.
The wine list, curated by sommelier Chris Black, will highlight pours from California and around the world, including from Italy, Spain, France, Lebanon, Palestine and New Zealand. Dar’s signature crafted cocktails are meant to pair with the restaurant’s cuisine.