140111 Sun Mar 05 12:25:17 -0800 2006 9 11 South 0 749574 I paid my second visit to the Turkish restaurant Bosphorus in Cary last night. I want to say again what a nice little restaurant this is -- everything fresh and thoughtfully prepared, portions plentiful and prices cheap, service friendly and unpretentious. What impresses me is that Bosphorus gives its all to every element of the meal. Even the olive oil that came with the bread was a seized opportunity for a nice little taste twist. The oil was flavored with lemon juice, herbs, and minutely diced roasted red peppers to create something unusual and surprisingly toothsome. We couldn't resist dipping and licking our fingers once the bread was gone. I think Bosphoros is at least as good -- probably better -- than the much more expensive and more pretentious Talluleh on Franklin Street in Chapel Hill. I went on Valentine's Day with my wife. The food was good if pricey, but what struck me was the mood of the place. There was a hushed politeness that seemed to me a little weird; nobody seemed to be having a very good time. Maybe people were under Valentine's Day pressure (big dates), or maybe, as I felt, there was something slightly chilling about the demeanor of the staff. The meal came to $75 without wine or drinks -- two apps, two entrees, two coffees, one dessert. I thought this was a bit much, given the nature of the cuisine. One strange detail. The waitress talked us into ordering the dessert special -- profiteroles stuffed with apricots. This sounded unusual and I agreed to give it a try. The dessert arrived mysteriously without apricots -- plain old profiteroles. Not bad, but not especially good, and certainly not interesting. All of this being said, I'd rather eat at Talluleh that at any other restaurant on Franklin Street. It's the best of numerous middling options. David A. Sun Mar 05 12:25:17 -0800 2006 0 David A. 1 749580 Odd, perhaps the single last phrases I would ever expect to hear about Talulah is "pretentious" or "hushed politeness". Each and everytime I've been there it's been completely festive and laid back. The owner is a friendly guy and there's usually a bunch of Turks having a good time at the bar buying everyone around shots of that licorish liquor Raki(?). When I've had issues with the place it's been about uneven service (which is a complaint that could be lodged against each and every restaurant in pretty much every city I've lived), and a dish here and there that missed by a bit. All in all, I certainly include it among the places I like to dine, though I don't share your bleak outlook on the rest of the block (having had very nice meals at both Elaine's and Lantern). Perhaps your experience had more to do with V-day. Prices included. Certainly plenty of places jack up their prices for that day. I'm not a huge fan of it, but you can hardly blame them. It seems that everytime I go there, my wife and I manage to order enough wine and food to leave satiated and still get out for about $60. Sun Mar 05 14:44:05 -0800 2006 749574 0 porktaco 2 749585 I echo what porktaco said about Talullas (yes, I admit I had to revisit their webpage to get the correct spelling). I went once with a group (my wife and my in-laws) and found the place to be quite festive (and though not loud, it certainly wasn't quiet). My guess is that Valentine's Day brought couples who were focused on their own conversations which turned the decibels down. Our server was very helpful when we went (a couple of months ago). If anything she was a little tentative (but that was closer to the opening of the establishment). We enjoyed all the dishes but one particular dish stood out in my mind - the Karides Guvec. That dish has shrimp and a cheese mixture baked on top. It had a great depth of flavor and was very rich. We will definitely head back. Mon Mar 06 08:42:57 -0800 2006 749580 0 Kevin N. 2 749594 I admit that I am completely alone in my animus to Lantern. Simply put, the place seems to take itself more seriously than its food warrants. I would be interested in trying it a second time, but my wife, who's from Taiwan, absolutely refuses to eat such pricey pseudo-Chinese food. I feel that the single greatest lack in the Triangle is a decent Chinese restaurant. Last night I went to a Chinese banquet to see off a member of my wife's Chinese choir who's moving out of town. There were perhaps thirty or forty people, all Chinese. We wound up at Royal China Buffet in Raleigh, better than average but still a buffet, which suggests the real paucity of authentic or decent Chinese in the area. This is the constant complaint in the Chinese community. Mama Wok, Fortune Palace, Red Palace -- these are the contenders, but in the end none is especially good. I believe that a really good Chinese restaurant serving unapologetically authentic fare, rather than fried chicken nuggets in glowing orange sauce, could make an absolute killing. It's worth noting the waiters and waitresses in our local Chinese restaurants are openly scornful of the cuisine and freely admit that the kitchen staff never eats anything off the menu. It's a weird thing about Chinese restaurants in America: there is a tremendous condescension toward the Western patron. I say "weird" because the same dynamic does not seem to apply in the case of Japanese, Korean, Vietnamese, Thai, or Indian restaurants. David A. Mon Mar 06 11:25:30 -0800 2006 749580 0 David A. 2 2394557 I'm with porktaco - I can't imagine thinking of Talulla's as pretentious, and I have a strong feeling it was the pressure of Valentine's dates that made it feel stuffy. It is usually a fun and lively place, and personally I like the food very much. Nicely chosen wine list to go with the food too. Sat Mar 17 06:11:35 -0700 2007 749580 56762 LulusMom 1 749593 Maybe you could tell us a little more about why you liked Bosphorus? I understand the oil is nice, but what did you have for the rest of the meal? What did it cost? Did you have desert? Mon Mar 06 11:23:25 -0800 2006 749574 0 Bryan Andregg 2 749595 I've now been several times and have tried a good portion of the menu. I've yet to have anything that wasn't good. Last night my wife had the pork chop special, perfectly flavored and grilled chops over a fragrant rice pilaf, while I had something whose Turkish name I can't remember. It was a kind of long baton of ground-lamb served over grilled bread with stewed tomatos and yoghurt on top. On the side was a weirdly smokey but delicious eggplant mash. For appetizer, we had the "cigar bourek," fried springrolls stuffed with feta and cilantro. Again, delicious. My favorite dish, however, is the fried eggplant appetizer: fried eggplant slices served with the same tomato and yoghurt that covered my entree. I haven't tried dessert, but the offerings are rice pudding, flan, and backlava. Portions are large. Two people might share one appetizer and then have entrees and a single dessert. This would probably cost $35 or $40 with tip. Overall, it's simple, cheap, and good, one of my favorite restaurants in the Triange. The cuisine is simpler and more rugged than than at Talluleh, but I think it's more interestingly flavored and better prepared. Best, David A. Mon Mar 06 11:33:34 -0800 2006 749593 0 David A. 3 749601 Being Turkish it was probably lamb chops, not pork. They usually have the chops on Friday and Saturday night. I've taken four people there who "don't eat lamb". After tasting the chops or kabobs there they are now confirmed lamb eaters. The dish you had sounds like the yogurt kabob with an Adana kabob. My wife and I usually split a shepards salad and then get our own entree or another appetiser. It is a small place, so if you go during a busy time of day be prepared to wait a few minutes. If they weren't closed on Monday I think I'd head there for lunch. Link: http://www.bosphorusnc.com/menu.html Mon Mar 06 12:50:28 -0800 2006 749595 0 blewgo 4 749607 You're right. It was lamb. And very delicious too. Mon Mar 06 14:27:11 -0800 2006 749601 0 David A. 1 2388319 I was there on Valentine's Day as well. The menu that day was rather more limited than usual, but our food was delicious. I suggest that next time you go, order several of the appetizers (especially the patlican ezemesi! - it's like baba ghanoush but with yogurt and walnuts) and some of the Turkish pizza. Also, try either the sutlac (rice pudding) or kunefe for dessert. I admit they're a bit on the pricey side, but that's Chapel Hill. I don't find them particularly pretentious, though, and I've rarely been disappointed by the food. My husband, who's Turkish, likes the food but thinks it's too expensive for Turkish food, which is ironic since he's been to upscale Turkish restaurants in Boston and New York and paid quite a bit more. Thu Mar 15 09:14:36 -0700 2007 749574 81234 kerdragon