Anatolia

 

A Wednesday evening in New Town brought crowds and parking challenges as a concert roared in Sullivan Square. But stepping into the cozy and welcoming environment of Anatolia Bar and Grill was an instant respite. And Ford’s Colony residents were treated to a night of culinary wonder thanks to the generosity of the restaurant’s owners, the Yesilcimens.

Sevan and Bee – along with their two children – are beloved parts of the Williamsburg community, offering not only extraordinary Mediterranean cuisine (their grandmas’ recipes), but their warm welcome.

In fact, Ford’s Colony guests universally commented that the welcome they received was the highlight of the night. It began with Bee standing on a chair and conducting the courses with the precision and artistry of a maestro and ended with her daughter, Kyra, tap dancing for claps and sharing proudly that she was graduating from the kindergarten the next day.

Because – to paraphrase a chain restaurant’s slogan, when you’re at Anatolia, you’re family.

This is a family I could eat with every day.

The first course was a dish of artichoke hearts with peas and carrots, followed by sauteed leeks. Bee promised, from her perch behind the counter, that even if you didn’t like leeks – you would walk away loving hers. It was a prophetic statement – when interviewing Janie Chamberlain and Joy Thompson about their experiences, the comments were this: “I would never have ordered leeks off of a menu. But I loved these!” This writer is not too embarrassed to admit that I actually applauded when this dish was announced – because I have had them before and proclaim those sentiments to be true. (Bee insists that the secret is lemon juice and olive oil, but then smiles conspiratorially and credits her grandmother’s secret blend of spices.)

Next, we were served a trio of muhammara (a red pepper paste), babaganoush (eggplant dip), and hummus with pita wedges and carrots. Plus sarma (grape leaves), also known to many as dolmas.

The entrée choices offered something for everyone – Anatolian shrimp, lamb shawarma, chicken shawarma, and falafel. (Please note that the regular restaurant menu is much more extensive, though there is little need to imagine beyond these own delectable offerings!)

The dessert was teased as a secret, to which the kindergartener delighted in saying that she knew what it was. And it was well worth the wait – butternut squash puree topped with vanilla ice cream and shavings of pistachios and toasted coconut. Wow! A perfect blend of sweet and savory and the perfect way to top off the night.

At Anatolia Bar and Grill, you come for the food and you stay for the atmosphere. Resident Jane Drumm says, “It exceeds your expectations. You leave home and enter a new world.” And perhaps the best vote of confidence came from new resident Dottie Heinold, who along with her husband, Clint, just moved to Williamsburg from Turkey: "It is an amazing authentic restaurant. Bee's seasoning and use of ‘secret ingredient’ spices is really special - and way better than most shawarma restaurants we tried in Ankara when we lived there!"