PUNCHMAGAZINE.COM 69 {food coloring} the restaurant’s crystal chandeliers glimmer in the low lighting. Table lamps warm the diners’ faces as they lean in for amiable conversation. The dishes here are less flashy and more traditional, beloved staples ranging from kebabs to künefe, moussaka to muhammara. Dino notes that while Middle Eastern cuisine might be popular on the Peninsula these days, back in 2010, the food here really stood out. “There weren’t too many of those restaurants around,” he notes. Anatolian Kitchen moved from Birch Street to California Avenue in recent years, but it maintains its high standard. “We always keep the consistency. The service, the food, the quality and quantity are always the same,” Dino promises. “We never downgrade.” Not sure what to order? The contrasting flavors of the appetizers elevate each other so it’s best to try more than just one. Accompany the cooling cacik (a dip of cucumbers, mint and yogurt) with muhammara (a dip of walnuts and bell pepper enhanced by pomegranate molasses). Perhaps add the earthy eggplant boosted by the zip of tomatoes and garlic. As for entrees, there’s a whole range of succulent kebabs, including exquisitely-seasoned kofta (made of ground beef and lamb) and adana chicken. If you saved room for dessert, consider the künefe—shredded filo dough and cheese sprinkled with pistachio and sweetened by honey— crispy on the outside and gooey on the inside. “I know my vegetables. I know my food,” Dino declares, recalling the cows, chickens and sheep they raised as well as the produce they grew on his family’s farm. “Fresh, fresh, fresh!” Beyond fantastic food, Dino insists on a “hands-on chef,” one who won’t hide in the kitchen. “He should go out and not be afraid to talk about his food,” Dino declares, stroking the salt and pepper stubble on his chin. “If guests have any questions, the chef’s right there, they can ask the chef.” He found this in the dedicated and driven chef Allen Isik, who has closely partnered with him to bring both Barbayani Greek Taverna and
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