Konak

Konak
228 Vine St.
215-592-1212
Credit cards accepted
Restrooms down a long flight of stairs
Authentic Turkish fare

The countries that comprise the eastern Mediterranean have a special name for their appetizers. These tasty morsels are called mezze, and they’re gaining popularity on local menus.

Special libations are in order when enjoying mezze. The Spaniards like sherry with their tapi while the Greeks toss down an ouzo. Italians may wish to sip a Campari, a Bellini or a glass of wine. I don’t think the French would ever turn down champagne with hors d’oeuvres.

Until we enjoyed dinner at Konak, a new Turkish restaurant in town, I didn’t know that Turkey brews beer and produces wine. My mom Berthe and I shared a bottle of Turkish beer ($5), which was dark and creamy, akin to Guinness but a bit lighter. It drank well with the marvelous food prepared at Konak. My husband Edward ordered a glass of red wine ($7), which was similar to a Merlot.

The restaurant is at 228 Vine St., the site of the former Marco’s. The bright red interior is gone, replaced with a tile floor, warm colors, a big wooden bar and an open dining room. The staff is friendly and professional.

On a recent Tuesday evening, the hostess greeted us with a smile and gave us two menus. "Do you want two-dollar Tuesday?" she asked, explaining we could order from an array of hot and cold mezze, each priced at just $2. As we settled into a roomy table for four, we looked at both menus and decided to go for the mezze and share an entrée, which turned out to be most generous.

Our waitress gave us a sheet of paper that listed the $2 mezze. I checked off the dishes we wanted and prepared for a feast.

Lentil soup was a creamy, pureed vegetarian version. It arrived hot. I never had pureed lentil soup — this one was prepared with green lentils — and it was a delicious way to begin dinner.

We also ordered pide, which is a Turkish leavened flat bread. This tasty concoction was a cross between pita and focaccia. Baked in a wood oven, it was made with olive oil and topped with toasted black sesame seeds.

Tabuli salad was nothing like the instant kind I make from a box. The bulgar had a fresh flavor, enhanced by lemon juice. Ezme is a very popular dish in Turkey whose key ingredient is walnut sauce, which imparts a fine flavor. Red and green peppers are roasted, cut into strips and allowed to cool. A bit of spicy Turkish red pepper was added to the peppers before the walnut sauce, which contained some cumin.

I grew up on my grandmother’s chopped eggplant salad. Konak’s was as fine as Grandmom’s. The eggplants were roasted, the flesh scooped out and chopped. Olive oil and lemon juice are stirred into the mixture before being topped with fresh chopped parsley. Mom particularly enjoyed it.

Next up were spinach boreks, which are enjoyed all over the eastern Mediterranean. These triangular pies are made with phylo dough and filled with fresh chopped spinach and slightly salty imported feta cheese. They came to the table just hot enough for us to pick up with our fingers without burning them.

Fried calamari was prepared with fresh small rings of squid, coated and fried to a golden perfection and absolutely free of grease. The rings were nestled on a bed of shredded lettuce. All they required was a squeeze of fresh lemon.

The rest of our mezze came hot from the grill. Lamb is the meat of choice in Turkey and many eastern Mediterranean lands. Konak’s lamb kebob consisted of several meaty, tender pieces threaded on a wooden skewer and seasoned just right. The rice that came with the dish was long grain, perfectly cooked and blended with butter. The plate also contained ripe cherry tomatoes — a nice addition.

Adana was ground lamb mixed with red and green peppers and a bit of spice. I never thought of mixing roasted peppers with meat and made a mental note to try it at home. Rice came with this dish as well.

Kofte are among my favorite mezze. They were prepared with seasoned ground beef and shaped into ovals before they hit the grill. They, too, were nicely seasoned and came with rice. Eggplant musakka with meat was a tasty layered treat prepared with fresh, not-at-all bitter eggplant and ground beef. We all agreed that each mezze was absolutely delicious.

Edward chose a large platter for us to share. The regular menu is huge, so it took a bit of discussion. We ordered a combination platter ($21.95), which came with a homemade yogurt cucumber sauce laced with heady garlic and a hot pepper sauce. The platter contained a chicken kebob, prepared with chunks of breast meat that were grilled and not a bit overcooked; lamb kebob; ground kofte; and gyro, which was a mix of grilled, thinly sliced veal and lamb, which I particularly liked with the yogurt sauce. Rice and shredded lettuce came with the platter.

We were stuffed from enjoying so much food, but Edward wanted to try a sweet. Our waitress brought us the dessert menu, which consisted of a number of homemade treats. She recommended baklava, which was prepared with sugar instead of honey. The pastry was flaky and the ground nuts were tasty; however, I thought it was a bit dry and needed the moistness of the honey.

Konak is a delightful addition to Old City. Service was excellent. Our server brought us clean plates when needed and took the time to explain unusual dishes. Mom wants to go back.

Three tips of the toque to Konak.