Relish: The Turquoise Grill is great

By Drew Berger and Emily Salomon     4/8/10 7:00pm

Looking for a more authentic Mediterranean experience than you can find at Niko Niko's or Yia Yia Mary's? Consider a small Turkish restaurant called the Turquoise Grill. We stumbled upon the restaurant in our search for something in the realm of Mediterranean cuisine, looking for a dining experience a little less Americanized than the large, more popular Greek-American restaurants in town. We definitely found what we were looking for at the Turquoise Grill - the family-owned atmosphere is refreshing in a city full of impersonal, commercial establishments, and while there are a few "American-friendly" items on the menu, like hamburgers and philly cheesesteaks, the offerings are overall very true to Turkish cuisine. This is one of those places where the owner takes time to greet you himself, and, if you ask, proudly explains each dish in detail. If you're lucky, he may even offer you baklava on the house for dessert. From what we could tell, everything we ordered was homemade and fresh to order. Dining here was as much a culturally broadening experience as it was a culinary adventure.

Located two blocks north of U.S. 59 off of Kirby Drive on Norfolk Street, Turquoise Grill isn't the fanciest restaurant in town, but it's clean, and the food and service make up for what the restaurant lacks in decor. Expect the typical wooden, square cafe tables and chairs with turquoise accents. Tables for two are available outside, where the street is surprisingly quiet. We were immediately greeted by regulars seated outside, and when we entered the restaurant the waitstaff made us feel welcome, even though we were a party of six. Seating is easy to come by for dinner on Saturday, but go on the early side if you want to sit more than four.

When we admitted to our waiter that we were not very familiar with Turkish cuisine, he insisted we try a broad range of dishes. He gave us the option of ordering family-style because we were such a large party, a privilege not offered on the menu. Clearly, the waitstaff was primarily concerned with making our Turkish dining experience as varied and satisfying as possible, a welcome change from those restaurants that want you to eat quickly so they can give your table to the next paying customer. In fact, we had extended conversations with both our waiter and the owner, who were quite friendly and attended sharply to our needs as their guests.

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We started with the babaghannus, roasted eggplant pureed with garlic, tahini and lemon juice - a popular dish in Arab and Mediterranean countries. For Emily, this was the ultimate test; she has loved the dish ever since her Serbian grandfather taught her how to make their babaghannus family recipe when she was 10. To her joy, the eggplants were prepared correctly, offering an earthiness and smokiness to the dish that can only be achieved when the eggplants are properly roasted on an open grill. She found the dip to be well-seasoned but not over-salted, which kept it flavorful and fresh. The bread accompanying the babaghannus was clearly homemade, with hints of garlic and olive oil carrying through, an unexpected departure from the cardboard-like pita found at other Houston Mediterranean restaurants.

The theme of well-seasoned, homemade food continued throughout the meal. Per the waiter's advice, we enjoyed the Turquoise Lahmajun, a sort of Turkish pizza, featuring minced, spiced ground meat standing out against finely chopped, crisp fresh vegetables and creamy white yogurt sauce as toppings. We shared six dishes among the six of us for the entree. Highlights included the Doner Kebab, a popular street food in Turkey, which was served on a bed of rice with fire-grilled tomatoes and peppers. The meat was intensely flavorful, juicy and well-seasoned - a welcome change from the kind we're used to getting in the servery during their Greek gyro-themed dinners.

The Adana Kebab platter was similar to the Doner Kebab in flavor, but because the meat was ground and served in the style of meatballs, it differed in texture from the Doner Kebab. The lamb chops, which both the waiter and the owner dubbed the "best lamb chops in town," do not invite disagreement with this title. The meat was surprisingly lean and very tender for lamb.

The table favorite was the Sultan Beyti Kebab, lamb wrapped in lavash bread and drizzled with a creamy tomato-yogurt sauce. We also ordered the grilled salmon and Chicken Kebab, but these dishes were not so noteworthy. Both were well prepared, but the star dishes were definitely the other four we ordered.

We found the Aryan, a traditional Turkish yogurt-like drink, to be a perfect complement to the spiced meats for its refreshingly light, slightly minty taste. For dessert, the owner offered us free baklava, a traditional pastry made from phyllo dough, chopped nuts and honey, and a semolina cake. The baklava was more flavorful and delicate than the semolina cake, which was basically a honeyed sponge cake.

For the amount of food we ordered, the price was very reasonable. Having shared an appetizer, the lahmajun, the Aryan yogurt drink, six entrees, Turkish coffee and dessert, our tab came out to just below $20 a person. Our only complaint is that we waited a very long time to receive our check. Multiple couples came and went before we finally left.

However, we absolutely recommend you take your Mediterranean craving here if you seek a relaxed dining experience with honest dishes, complex flavors and a friendly, authentic and knowledgeable waitstaff. While you can find a gyro in town for $7.50, the fresh, homemade food and star treatment at Turquoise Grill makes this place well worth it.

Drew Berger is a Lovett College junior and Emily Salomon is a Wiess College junior.

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