Turquoise
Photo: Cititour.com
Contact Info:
Address: 240 East 81st Street
City: New York, NY
Zip: 10028
map: View the Map
Phone: 212-988-8222
Food Info:
Cuisine:
Mediterranean
2nd Cuisine:
Seafood
Cititour Review:
Every restaurateur believes that “if you build it, they will come,” but the owners of Turquoise, a new seafood-oriented Mediterranean restaurant on the Upper East Side, are seeing their field of dreams come true. In less than three weeks, customers are already fighting for tables at this simple but attractive spot, named for the color of the marble walls. (One downside, the marble and other surfaces here, though quite lovely, do up the noise level!) Of course, there’s no substitute for experience. Turquoise’s original namesake has long attracted a loyal following tony Great Neck, and part of the secret to Turquoise’s success in both locations is that Sam Marelli, the very charming owner, personally selects his fish each morning at the market, and won’t serve anything that doesn’t meet with his approval. While seafood is the restaurant’s raison d’etre, it’s not the whole story here. Great care goes into everything, from the complimentary nibbles like pickled beets (which made a beet-lover of formerly beet-phobic dining companion) to meze-like starters including revelatory homemade green tahini dip, a gently smoky baba ganoush, of a fine tzaziki, the cooling mixture of yogurt, cucumber, dill and garlic, which can be ordered separately, or as the accompaniment to a platter of nicely greaseless zucchini chips. An Israeli salad of tomatoes, cucumber, dill and parsley – one of eight salad choices -- had an unexpected kick. The less-than-squeamish diner will probably zero in one of the house’s many whole fish, including loup de mer, trout and tilapia. (Unlike some other Greek eateries, Turquoise doesn’t gouge you with an inflated by-the-pound price for these dishes.) Feeling a little less bold, we chose excellent, golden sea scallops, a nicely broiled Chilean sea bass (augmented only by a little olive oil, lemon and garlic) and the impressive salmon fillet en pappilote, a rather generous portion of fish baked in parchment paper, and topped with julienne leeks and carrots. If your appetite isn’t that large, the appetizer portion of pan-seared sesame shrimp is a delicious alternative. And meat eaters take note, you’re not being completely ignored. A large grilled rib eye at the next table looked very enticing, and there’s also skirt steak, lamb chops, and a double breast of chicken on the menu for your enjoyment. Stuffed to the gills (you should pardon the pun), we nonetheless enjoyed every last bite of the house’s signature dessert, a light variation on a triple chocolate mousse cake. If you see it at another table, don’t go green with envy – just order it.
Review By: Brian Scott Lipton.
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