Turkish-Mediterranean Cuisine at Its Best – Restaurant Review

by amvandenhurk | Bread, Dessert, Dinner, Restaurant Review, Travel

Ezme. Eggpant Salad. Hummus. Baba Hounush. Adana Kebab. Kofta Kebab.

I crave the above. And I can’t get enough of it. Really. I’m at my happiest sipping tea out of a glass and nibbling on a mezze platter.

I’ve been lucky to have friends from all over the world including friends from Turkey who exposed me to their home cuisine. I was so pleased when my friend, Nathan, invited me to a Turkish restaurant in Cary, North Carolina.

Bosphorus, is a small restaurant with ten inside tables and about the same of year-round outdoor seating. It is always busy and I don’t think they take reservations unless it is for a large party. It is not uncommon for three or four different languages being spoken at neighboring tables. Many of the patrons are Turkish and for me that’s always a good sign. Especially when it is families having a meal together. The staff are wonderful, friendly, and helpful.

I’ve been there for lunches and dinners both on the weekday and weekend, and I’ve yet to have a bad experience. The food is always outstanding. The dishes are freshly prepared. What I appreciate about Bosphorus is the dishes are flavorful and delicate. The spices are well balanced. I find a lot of  Mediterranean restaurants overwhelm the dishes with mainly garlic. Bosphorus doesn’t. It all blends and balances perfectly. Let’s put it this way, after eating a Bosphorus, I do not have to avoid kissing people out of fear of garlic breath.

Everything I’ve had at Bosphorus is delicious. Here are some of my favorite dishes. Dishes that I really do crave:

Bread (Pide). It is freshly made on site. If you like bread then this is to die for. Even if you don’t like bread, you still will like this bread. Trust me, it is worth very carb in it. It comes to you hot out of the oven with a wonderful dipping sauce. We go through 2-3 baskets each visit, but it is sooooo good.

Mezze Platter. This could be a meal onto itself, but it is made to share. The platter is hummus, baba gounush, ezme, tabouli, eggplant salad, cucumber dip, and stuffed grape leaves. I usually find stuffed grape leaves bitter; however, not at Bosphorus.

Adana Kebab Platter. It is ground lamb and beef mixed with spices and grilled served with salad and Bulgur pilaf. Flavorful and tender. This is a favorite of mine.

Mixed Grill Kebab. This is the dish for folks who either can’t make up their mind or are newbies to Turkish food. It comes with pieces of grilled lamb, chicken, Kofta, and Adana served with salad and Bulgur pilaf.

Baklava. While I love desserts, I’ve never been a fan of Baklava until I had Boshorus’. While I was there the first time with Nathan for lunch, the staff were transporting trays of freshly made Baklava to a van. And I mean trays of it. So we decided we had to try it. The Baklava just melts in your mouth. It is sweet, but not sickly sweet. It is a nice balance to the flavorful spices of the main courses and a great way to end the meal.

And I can’t forget the tea served as though they do in Turkey. Or as I like to say

the proper way being a tea drinker who rarely drinks tea outside of the house. They, of course, serve Turkish coffee.

For us, Bosphorus is worth the one-and-a-half hour drive one-way to have a meal.

Boshporus
329-A North Harrison Avenue
Cary, NC 27513
919-460-1300
www.boshporus-nc.com