391820 Sat Apr 14 21:32:34 -0700 2007 10 2 Los Angeles Area 0 2481879 Hi there, We have a friend from Turkey that we would like to take out to an authentic Turkish dinner somewhere in OC or LA. Any recs? Thanks in advance, vlad Sat Apr 14 21:32:34 -0700 2007 28056 vlad 1 2482021 I think this has been discussed before- there is a turkish place in the food court of the Westside Pavilion mall- Sofra pretty good for a mall food court place, but not a destination by any means. the other Turkish restaurant in in Studio City on Ventura Blvd where the old "Queen Mary" drag bar used to be...anyone else remember the name? Sat Apr 14 23:53:21 -0700 2007 2481879 17232 msmd310 2 2482364 Serra's Dine & Dance, which also has a much smaller location, Serra's Bar & Grill, in Laguna Beach. Studio City info: 12449 Ventura Blvd., 818.760.1002 Sun Apr 15 08:05:39 -0700 2007 2482021 10359 carter 1 2482721 Unless your friend is homesick and really needs a food fix it seems to me that you could be setting yourself up for dissapointment. For example, I've yet to meet an Italian who has anything nice to say about any Italian restraunt in LA! On the other hand, ethnic rivaleries aside, Have you ever eaten at Raffi's in Glendale? It's Mediteranian Armenian which is in the same area code as Turkish flavor wise. Their rack of lamb shish kebob is one of the best last dishes I've ever eaten. Or what about a Persian restaraunt like Shamshiri in Westwood? Sun Apr 15 10:34:05 -0700 2007 2481879 73520 markethej 2 2482789 Well, it's not just that L.A. doesn't do Turkish food well, it's that there are barely any Turkish restaurants at all. Even if they are homesick and need a food fix it's unlikely they will be able to find a good selection of completely Turkish dishes. As the other poster suggested, you'll probably have better luck searching for good Lebanese, Armenian, Persian or Greek restaurants in the area you want to eat in. Sun Apr 15 10:59:16 -0700 2007 2482721 12460 Chowpatty 1 2483138 Is Armenian close enough to Turkish? The food is very similar. I strongly recommend Caroussel. There are two - the simpler one is on Hollywood Blvd. in East Hollywood, and the fancier one is in Glendale. I've eaten at both numerous times and have always had excellent meals. Outstanding appetizers, kebabs and even desert. Very fresh and well prepared. They give you a ton of food for the money. Also, a great value. The decor at the Hollywood Blvd. location is a little tacky, but the food is fantastic. Sun Apr 15 13:21:49 -0700 2007 2481879 91658 hollywood david 2 2484002 My brother, sister-in-law and I ate at the Hollywood Carousel and we were ALL disappointed. I've eaten at the Glendale Carousel twice and enjoyed both meals. Sun Apr 15 18:51:49 -0700 2007 2483138 18031 Dogbite Williams 1 4980072 on harbor blvd there is a Turkish casual dining place newly opened about 6 months ago - Spinners Turkish Kebab www.spinnersturkishkebab.com Wed Aug 26 12:25:47 -0700 2009 2481879 1104377 mehmet_ergun 2 4980162 There are a couple of quite good Turkish places (neither of which I'm sure serves dinner, though) in the "Jewelry District Alley" downtown. Because of concern (well-founded or not) over political protests/pressure from the Armenian community, some Turkish places in Los Angeles tend to brand themselves as simply "Mediterranean" in their ads and signage. Wed Aug 26 12:46:59 -0700 2009 4980072 11398 silverlakebodhisattva 3 4980460 I know, that's such a shame in LA... I travel the country, and am always looking for great Turkish places to eat. Turks do often classify their restaurants as Mediterranean, which to me, is a sure fire give away for unclear. Wed Aug 26 14:16:14 -0700 2009 4980162 1104377 mehmet_ergun 2 4981010 It's not bad. I like Dōner-G on Ball Rd. in Anaheim better. Wed Aug 26 17:31:18 -0700 2009 4980072 10811 Das Ubergeek