There’s a new Turkish bar and grill in town. It’s called Turkish Bar & Grill. And what it lacks in name creativity, it makes up for in many other ways.
We were just here a few months ago when it was a place called Wassabi Asian Fusion.
The new tenants changed precious little about the interior, basically just tossed some Turkish rugs over some of the beams.
But everything else about the dining experience here has changed with the new ownership. I was warmly greeted upon my arrival and graciously served throughout the dining experience. And the quality of the food was quite good. My only quibble is that I wish that the spicing and seasoning of the dishes had been a bit more forward.
My guest and I started with appetizers of sauteed eggplant and Lahmacun, sort of a mini Armenian pizza. The menu said that the portion was three pieces, but it was actually three whole pizza, each about the size of a 78 RPM record (yes, I’m that old).
The eggplant was wonderful, perhaps the best of the several dishes we ordered. It included tomatoes, sweet peppers, onions and garlic done ratatouille-like.
The okra saute was also a favorite and had similar ingredients and preparation. We opted to have lamb added. All of the ingredients were ample and fresh, but we found ourselves wanting some seasonings to add— perhaps some harrisa on the side?
The Stuffed White Cabbage, too, was a bit muted in its flavors. They were doused with tomato sauce and decorated with yogurt drizzles.
As I said, I felt welcomed and appreciated throughout my visit, and my guest and I were warmly thanked when we left. I will look forward to dining here again.