When we walked in, we were greeted by "the most friendly staff EVAR" (Eric's words). We saw other families being greeted with hugs and handshakes as they asked for "the usual" and we instantly looked at each other and with THAT look like "WE WANT TO BE THEM." So we set out to order a lot of food and ooh and aahed to the waiter about how great everything was, hoping that after 4 or 5 times of visiting, we'd get a hug, too. We are very dependent on others to love us. To our surprise and elation, our immediate reactions to the (very delicious) food were rewarded with PRIZES* and we happily agreed to taste an off-menu chipotle hummus that they were trying out.
*more food
We started with hummus and warm pita bread. There's an option for Date Night Hummus, which has no garlic, but we don't care about that, so we opted for what we called Real Couples Have Terrible Breath and Kiss and Love Each Other Anyway Hummus. The texture was so smooth, creamy, and perfectly chilled that at first we thought this wasn't hummus, but rather, a hummus dip, because what hummus could be this smooth? But it WAS that smooth. The garlic flavor was subtle and almost sweet, not at all biting. The waiter told us they are known for their hummus, and they should be, because it was the best hummus we've ever had. The pita bread was warm and the grill marks on the pita added a richness to each bite. We used the pita to sop up every last bite. Then, before the pita bread could start expanding in our stomachs, we ordered the tapas.
This is the chipotle hummus our waiter brought us after we said we loved the hummus. It was like the diabolical twin of the hummus. Same creamy texture, same color almost, but SPICY and amazing with a subtle smokiness. We hope it makes its way
Greek salad with pickled onions, tomatos, feta, and balsamic dijon dressing. This salad could've had a little more crunch and cucumbery goodness added to it. And Eric and I can get pretty snobby at a restaurant when there's Kraft "Parmesan style" cheese on food. I understand if you MUST have it at home, but at a restaurant? When it doesn't even need to be refrigerated? We'll pass.
Clockwise from top left: Beef piroshki, falafel, saffron infused grilled shrimp, grilled asparagus, and saffron rice.
The piroshki? Phenomenal. Great spices, a little bit of sweetness which is always a complex palate I find in Mediterranean food, and the perfect deep fried crunch with a warm but not burning hot center.
The falafel: Eric and I both prefer a moister falafel, as much as we despise the word "moist." The sauce underneath it is a delicious, parsley-filled, zesty mixture and definitely made the dish much more enjoyable.
Eric couldn't say enough good things about the shrimp and he still talks about it all. the. time.
The asparagus was asparagus, don't waste your time.
Aaaaand I want saffron rice every day but with more and more and MORE saffron and butter on top. A tiny little pat o butter and saffron just ain't gonna cut it for me.
Saffron Ice Cream with Sugared Grapes and Pistachios: HOLY YUM. The waiter caught me licking the bowl, and then he brought me another one for free! It was so incredibly nice and I have never tasted a flavor like that in my life. In fact, now I'm thinking about going there and eating some more....
Thanks to Pinterest, I know now that supposedly, Turkish Coffee has pistachios in it and that's what makes it so sweet and powdery? Either way, this coffee is the stuff of my dreams. We couldn't tel; if it was more potent than any other coffee, because, contrary to what you might have heard, Eric and I are high-anxiety and therefore we tire ourselves out with nervousness regardless of how much coffee we drank. We fell asleep a few hours after drinking this, so surely its caffeinated powers weren't nearly as strong as we suspected.
Please go to Cafe Izmir immediately and order the hummus, the Turkish coffee, and the saffron ice cream. Start with those three because they are the ones worth filling up on. Then order everything else on the menu and devour it. Lather, rinse, repeat.
