Issue:
March
2010

Story by Barbara Penny Angelakis
Photography by Manos Angelakis

Ali Baba’s Terrace
862 Second Avenue at 46^th Street
New York City, NY 10017
www.alibabaturkishcuisine.com

In all fairness, I must begin this review by confessing that the Mediterranean kitchen is one of my favorite cuisine indulgences… and I always overeat! I am especially fond of Meze, the small dishes of delectable spreads and salads, which you use pita or pide to sop up. So, it was with gleeful anticipation that I entered the corner restaurant on 46^th Street and 2^nd Avenue called Ali Baba’s Terrace. In this case, the name of the restaurant is not conjured up by the well-known folk tale, and the door to the restaurant does not need the magical incantation of “Open Sesame”. Baba is simply “Father” in Turkish, and in this case, Ali Baba means Ali’s Father.

This restaurant is the latest in a string of Turkish eateries that are the passion of owner Ali Riza Dogan. His career as a restaurateur began inauspiciously in 1986, when newly arrived to this country; he took a position as a dishwasher. Within two years of absorbing the ins and outs of running a restaurant, literally from the bottom-up, he was ready with his “Baba” to open a pizza parlor. As it is said, the rest is history and a real-life tale for a Horatio Alger novel. Today there is Lisa’s Turkish Kitchen in Ridgewood, New Jersey; the Turkish Grill in Sunnyside, New York; the original Ali Baba on East 34^th Street in New York City; and the new kid on the block, Ali Baba’s Terrace… that this review is concerned with.

There are three major reasons to eat at Ali Baba’s Terrace; the first being location; the second is the rooftop al fresco dining opportunity which is such a rare treat in the city; and the third and by far the most important, the food, as devised by Ali and his Anatolian Culinary School trained chef, Senol Bakir. Ali himself was in the restaurant when we visited and I asked him what dishes he personally preferred and then followed his lead. But, if Ali is not around to question, you will be in good hands with Nazim, his knowledgeable and welcoming manager.

We began our feast with Raki, the traditional anise tasting clear liquor that when topped with ice and water turns cloudy and cuts the effect of the strong brew. A platter of sweet ripe honeydew melon and a large slab of mellow Turkish feta cheese are traditionally served with Raki and each flavor adds to the enjoyment of the others. While we savored the flavors, we perused the extensive menu whetting out appetites for what was to come.

First, the aforementioned cold and then hot meze, with an ample supply of the restaurant’s signature sesame and onion-seed flatbread, perfect for dipping in the generous saucy portions. There was Acili Ezme, chopped vegetables in tomato sauce; Patlican with sauce, cubed eggplant in a sauce of fresh tomatoes, green peppers, onions, garlic and parsley; Babaganush, eggplant puree; Pilaki, red beans with potatoes, carrots and bell peppers in a tomato based sauce; Cacik, yogurt with shredded cucumbers, garlic and herbs. The Ezme was a little on the spicy side while the Babaganush was creamy and mild tasting with a smoky undertone and I might add, one of the best I have ever tasted. Pilaki was my least favorite while the Cacik is always a winner for me.

Next came the hot meze and we ordered our favorites of Arnavut Cigeri, herbed and floured deep fried cubes of liver, which when prepared correctly as it was here, is a savory treat; Sigara Boregi, deep-fried fillo rolls filled with feta cheese and parsley; and a new dish for me, Pacanga Boregi, a bastirma - spiced pastrami-like dried meat - and kashar cheese filling wrapped and deep-fried in fillo. They were all superb and you can’t go wrong sampling any of the small plates as an appetizer or making a meal out of several dishes.

But it would be a shame to miss out on the grilled meats that Turkish cuisine is known for, especially at Ali Baba’s Terrace. Fresh meat is thinly hand-sliced daily, marinated with spices, and cooked on a rotating spit, making their Doner Kebab or “revolving meat” hard to beat. Whatever is left at the end of the day is donated to food banks rather then reused the following day as in most restaurants, in this way you are assured of getting the highest quality and freshest ingredients. Out of the many appealing selections of poultry, seafood and meat dishes, we finally went with Manos’ favorite of doner kebab and adana kebab combination, a plate of sliced seasoned thin layers of lamb and chopped marinated lamb and beef shaped into an elongated patty; and Ali Nazik, chopped spiced kebab over smoky eggplant puree, topped with garlicky yogurt and tomato sauce. The combination kebab plate was not new to me except in execution and flavor but the nazik was a first and a delicious blend of tastes. No wonder this dish is one of the restaurants most popular, and Ali’s favorite.

Ordering dessert often suffers after such a meal but in this case Kazandibi was on the menu, a pudding made from condensed milk that is allowed to caramelize on the bottom before removing from the large pot it is cooked in (Kazandibi translates to: the bottom of the large pot) then sprinkled with cinnamon and sugar, and who could resist, certainly not I. The meal ended perfectly with a Turkish coffee, sweet and boiled, just the way I like it. There are dozens of ways to prepare Turkish coffee that is served in a demitasse cup from which you drink until your lips hit the mud (grounds). Each cup is made to order, with the sugar added to the finely ground beans and then boiled together. Even if you don’t usually add sweetener to your coffee, on your first attempt at the Turkish brew it is best to ask for medium (a little sugar) and then in the future adjust the sweetening to your preference (sweet, medium, without) until you reach the level that suits you best. Only the very heartiest of espresso drinkers should attempt to order Turkish coffee without.

So there you have it, Ali Baba’s Terrace, a midtown moderately priced restaurant, serving authentic, savory Anatolian cuisine. You have ample selections to choose from in order to find your favorites… or try mine, either way this restaurant is a must-try.

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