Mezze Sampling Plate

by Celia Sin-Tien Cheng
January 31, 2008

BODRUM
584 Amsterdam Ave
(88th & 89th Sts)
New York, NY 10024
212-799-2806

It’s funny how sometimes the simplest things can trip you up. I have been trying to decide on a craving for Bodrum but have been at a loss for much too long. I was stumped not because there’s nothing on the menu for me to choose from, but, on the contrary, every dish I tried at Bodrum, from starter to dessert — even the homemade bread — was a contender for my favorite craving. It’s all so good! It took me a while, but then I realized the obvious craving choice at a restaurant that has so much to offer — the mezze sampling plate!

Bodrum is a new Turkish restaurant that opened last July on the UWS. It serves homestyle Turkish cooking as well as some contemporary Mediterranean and North African dishes. The eatery, which seats forty (with outdoor accommodations when weather permits), has a casual but elegant feel. Upon entering the restaurant, you are faced with a wood-burning brick oven that warms this intimate, comfortable space. Comfort is found both in the atmosphere as well as the downright good homestyle cooking. The menu is not extensive but the quality of the food is consistently high.

Eating out as often as I do, my favorite meals are homestyle. Homestyle cooking is not to be confused with sloppy comfort food. Bodrum’s cuisine, as well as service, is refined and professional. Like its Turkish sister restaurant, Pasha, Bodrum also offers a fine-dining experience but in a warmer, more relaxing setting.

The shepherd salad is a good example of how Bodrum pays attention to detail. This is a simple and traditional Turkish salad, but too often restaurants serve it with oversized chunks of tomatoes, cucumbers, onions, and bell peppers. At Bodrum, the ingredients are finely diced, and carefully seasoned with the right balance of olive oil and lemon.

The mezze are all delicious and the mezze sampling plate for only $14 is the way to go. This includes a sigara borek (French feta and chopped parsley rolled like a cigar, as the name suggests, in crispy Turkish filo); a b’stila djej (Moroccan filo pastry stuffed with spiced chicken, almonds, chopped fresh herbs and cinnamon) — a true knock out!; hummus; babaghanoush; Turkish patlican (lightly spiced cubes of eggplant cooked with tomato, peppers, garlic and fresh herbs); and lebne (strained yogurt cheese mixed with walnuts, dill and purslane). And of course one of the best things about eating mezze is the accompanying bread. The homemade Turkish pide bread topped with sesame seeds is soft and fluffy, making it easier to soak up all the dips. I could just have pide with mezze for a meal, but there’s much more to enjoy at Bodrum, so don’t stop there.

Whenever I spy manti (ground lamb and fresh herb dumplings with garlic yogurt sauce) on a menu, I am wont to try it. The pieces of manti at Bodrum are unusually large, so they are more similar to ravioli than the normally petit dumplings. However, the size here does not compromise the taste. The manti is fresh and the garlic yogurt sauce a wonderful complement.

For the entrée, the special, lamb kebab with rice and steamed vegetables, was scrumptious. The copiously sized pieces of lamb on the skewer were juicy and tender, and the mixed vegetables were julienned, not large chunks that seem like an afterthought. The Moroccan fish tagine, with spiced red snapper and preserved lemon, olives and vegetables, was also a well balanced mix of flavors that was saucy and zesty.

The most interesting dessert on the menu is the ginger and Turkish fig ice cream, and it was delightful! Fig is one of those fruits that seems neutral in flavor but exquisite when fresh. It balances out the zingy ginger without harnessing its distinctive flavor. It’s an original and refreshing way to wind down dinner.

Bodrum was such a wonderful surprise! It’s my new favorite Turkish restaurant in the City because of its sensational homestyle cooking. Though I may have to travel ninety blocks uptown to get there, it’s worth the distance!

Also in Turkish, UWS, Vegetables