Bodrum Mediterranean
Photo: Cititour.com
Contact Info:
Address: 84 Amsterdam Ave (88th St)
City: New York, NY
Zip: 10023
map: View the Map
Phone: (212) 799-2806
Website: http://www.bodrumnyc.com/
Food Info:
Menu: View the Menu
Cuisine:
Turkish
2nd Cuisine:
Mediterranean
Cititour Review:
For two decades, New Yorkers have been thankful for the presence of chef Turgut Balikci, even if they haven’t known his name. But they’ve known his cooking at Bella Luna, Bella Sguardo, and Pasha, and now they have another chance to appreciate his talents at Bodrum, a small but lively eatery he’s opened with partner at Huseyin Ozer at the site of a former take-out chicken place. There is sizable outdoor dining area, which will be suitable for all-year dining. Inside, designer Richard Bloch has transformed the tiny place into extremely attractive surroundings, complete with beautiful blue-green tiles, unusual light fixtures, and bronze sculptures by Arturo di Modica. There’s also a custom-made wood-burning oven, which Balikci uses to turn out enticing pizzas, a boon for those who may not embrace the menu’s Mediterranean specialties. For the rest of us, however, there’s lots of authentic, delicious fare to be had, some of which you may have never tasted before. Topping that list is the homemade manti, tender lamb-filled steamed dumplings bathed in a rich yogurt-garlic sauce, prepared by co-chef Aysen Candaner. The house’s b’stilla djej, triangles of puff pastry stuffed with cinnamon-scented chicken, is equally exemplary. Somewhat more conventional are the mezze, available individually and in a very generous sampler plate, including, among other delicacies, fine versions of hummus, baba ganoush, and patlican (lightly cooked and spiced eggplant cubes). The house’s other co-chef, Mehmet Tanyeri, is responsible for many of the main dishes. His fine hand with seafood is evident in first-rate red snapper cooked in a tagine – the traditional Moroccan ceramic cooking vessel – given extra zest by preserved lemon and olives. Kebabs made of ground lamb, herbs, and spices were remarkably flavorful. Other entrees include an Amish roast chicken, coriander-crusted salmon, filet mignon, and roasted branzini with pistachio relish.
Review By: Brian Scott Lipton
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