Photos by Bobby Tewksbury

Selahattin or “Sam,” as he introduces himself came to the U.S. as a student, like many immigrants do. As the oldest son, he felt a strong responsibility to help support his family. When he was young, he left his small village and moved to Istanbul to live and work with his uncle. That was where he discovered his passion: feeding people. When I asked what he loved about it, his answer was simple: “I love watching people eat my food.” When I asked what makes restaurants in Istanbul different from those in the U.S., he didn’t hesitate. In Istanbul, he said, food vendors usually focus on one thing and do it really well. Here, restaurants are expected to offer a little of everything, and while he understands why, he believes that makes it harder to do every dish equally well. He also talked about how much his children—and the neighborhood kids—love his food, and how strongly he feels about avoiding fried and heavily processed ingredients. Calling him a food purist might be a little much, but his commitment to fresh, wholesome ingredients comes through clearly in everything he serves. After discovering that love for cooking, Sam eventually moved to the U.S., finished school, and, like a lot of grads, spent some time figuring out his next step. He tried trucking, did well at it, and even owned several trucks. But the pull of the restaurant world never really left. In the end, he sold the equipment and took a chance to open a restaurant here, something his brother is also doing in Istanbul.

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That commitment to fresh, clean food shows up in every bite. From the baba ghanoush to the stuffed grape leaves, which carry just a touch of sweetness, there’s a real consistency to the menu. The vegetable salads are bright and fresh with a simple oil-and-vinegar dressing. The bread has a nicely developed texture, more tender and substantial than soft and fluffy. And the mixed grill brings out the best in both chicken and beef, using high heat to build deep, rich flavor. Sam is serious about authenticity too. He wants the ingredients to be the same ones he would use in Istanbul, and he’s willing to wait weeks to have some of them shipped in because, as he puts it, it’s worth it to give his customers the right flavors. The portions are generous without being overwhelming, so you leave satisfied instead of stuffed. Then it’s easy to settle in with a glass of raspberry tea, Turkish coffee, or Turkish wine, relax, and enjoy the conversation—ideally with Sam, who clearly loves talking about Turkey as much as he loves feeding people.