Just as we splashed Pellegrino into our goblets, for example, a manager appeared, offering to enliven our beverage with botanical elixirs. He was testing the waters (sorry) for the trendy essences, recently added at the bar. Would we be guinea pigs?
Absolutely.
But trendiness isn't the draw. After all, records show Turkish cuisine began in the 10th century, says the late food historian Alan Davidson. That's about the time Turkish cooks met their Irano-Islamic counterparts, incorporating new dishes and sharing Turkey's own. The combination helped create what is today referred to as Middle Eastern cookery.
The superbly prepared and hearty dishes of chef Sonmez Bozkurt, 39, provide reasons to eat here. The Turkish native, who arrived stateside in 1997, has been cooking professionally for 22 years, he said in a phone interview after my two visits.
His stints in Cleveland have included Antalya Red Square and Anatolia Cafe, which The Plain Dealer awarded a B-grade shortly after the restaurant opened in 2004.
Have you been to Istanbul Grill in Tremont? E-mail us your review of the food, service and atmosphere. Include your full name and where you live. We'll publish a sampling on Cleveland.com and in The Plain Dealer. E-mailmailto:food@plaind.comto sound off.
Bozkurt's food is still that good -- the grilled meats in particular. Two fine examples include Iskendar Kebab and Chicken Adana (each $13). The kebab, in this case, is misnamed. It is not skewered ground meat but slices of spit-roasted lamb, like those in a gyro. Adana (a food-obsessed city in Turkey) consists of pressed pieces of skewered chicken. The highly seasonedmeats in both dishes, which come with or without tart yogurt sauce, have a pleasing crustiness.
Stuffed eggplant ($13), in my humble opinion, is their equal. In Bozkurt's ground beef-meets-lamb version, he covers well-roasted eggplant with the gamey meat and blankets both with a great-tasting cumin-infused tomato sauce. A side pile of sumac-dusted red onion is a heady contrast.
Non-meat eaters have only a few mains to choose from. A good choice is Vegetarian Grilled Kebabs ($12), which offers some char-flavoring via mushrooms, eggplants, onions and green peppers. A ramekin of thin tomato sauce for dipping accompanies, as do fat kernels of perfectly cooked rice -- a principal component of Turkish cookery.
The restaurant's appetizers, however, are nearly all meatless, and two or three would make a meal. Begin with vinegary stuffed grape leaves ($5.50) and Ezme, a fresh-tasting dip made with crushed tomatoes, walnuts, olive oil, lemons and green peppers. Grab a wedge of grilled pita and scoop. Seconds of bread are always offered.
Follow that up with four crispy falafels ($5.50) and a light tahini sauce. We also enjoyed Haydari ($5), a generous portion of a yogurt-garlic-walnut combo you're meant to scoop. (Note to kitchen: Serving Haydari in a bowl would make the process much easier.)
Mixed appetizers for two to four people cost $13.50 to $24. Two could easily share a bowl of tasty red lentil soup ($4), an excellent tonic for shedding the chill of damp spring evenings.
House-made desserts are worth the calories. Custard lovers should order Kazandibi ($4.50), a lovely pudding combining milk, sugar, vanilla and cinnamon. Finely shredded phyllo sits atop honey-thickened crushed pistachio filling in Kadayif ($5). Baklava ($4.50) is a good foil for the restaurant's strong Turkish coffee ($3.50).
Istanbul Grill's courteous servers competently explain menu items. The small restaurant itself is divided into a bar with tables and a dining room. Full meals are served in both areas.
Now, go and eat.
-- David Farkas, Special to The Plain DealerTASTE BITES
Istanbul Grill
Where: 2505 Professor Ave., Cleve land (Tremont).
Online: grillistanbul.com
Call: 216-298-4450.
Hours: 11 a.m.-9:30 p.m. Tuesday-Thursday; 11 a.m.-11 p.m. Friday-Saturday; 11 a.m.-8 p.m. Sunday.
Prices: Appetizers/soups, $4-$7.50; salads, $4-$8.50; entrees, $11-$16; desserts, $4.50-$5. (A limited menu with lower prices is available at lunch time.)
Reservations: Recommended on week ends.
Credit cards: All major.
Cuisine: Turkish.
Kids menu: Will accommodate re quests.
Bar service: Full bar with a modest wine list (including Yakut) and micro brews on draft.
Accessibility: Up one step at front door and two steps inside to dining roomand restrooms.
Grade: * * *
Ratings: One star means fair; 2 stars, good; 3 stars, very good; 4 stars, ex ceptional. (Zero stars: not recom mended.) Plain Dealer reviewers make at least two anonymous visits to each restaurant and do not accept compli mentary meals. Read past reviews at cleveland.com/dining
David Farkas writes frequently about food and restaurants. Reach him at food@plaind.com
