I tried this Turkish spot in the Via Dellagio strip mall on Tuesday at night (9pm). It has been open for six months. There was only one other table (2 women) occupied at that time. There were about six men outside hookahing it up on the patio overlooking Sand Lake Rd. The menu pricing was ridiculous and if I wasn't keen on doing this, I would have just left. I did the next logical thing and ordered the cheapest entree and only an entree (and no drink). Kulbasti Shish at $26. It was eight tiny pieces of chicken thigh (probably singular) with minimal spicing atop a thick (likely congealed) schmear of tasteless (except in an off putting way) eggplant puree. And it took them about a half hour (remember empty restaurant) to deliver on that. Basic plating. Pide (their terrible 'pizzas") are about the same price point. I think a soup was $11. Other items were in the forties or sixties. And one was seventy five dollars. Just lamb, fish, etc. The table next to me had a branzino encased in salt. The menu described a branzino. But, not that way. Not sure if it was a special or they can't properly describe their dishes. That was in the forties, I believe. Sides are even around $8 or more. I hate this type of value proposition. Dishes only some kind of criminal or a government agent throwing around his people's money (same thing) or bribes (same thing) would have no compunction about paying for. Or a dilettante or arriviste or two. Anyone spending someone else's money or who with feels they won't be taking it with them and that date with destiny is coming sooner rather than later. But I digress. It's Turkish fare. Slightly less simple than Greek. To give you a for instance, I had a lamb and beef shwarma (see Travel Notes below) recently for $7. It was way better. More quantity. Better quality. More expensive types of meats. More flavor. The kitchen is open until 2pm on the weekends. Twelve or so otherwise. That's a plus. There is a big pide oven on the left side (with baby chair seats). A bar in the rear. A private room at the left rear. A stage (with instruments) in the middle. Lounges and a bar out back. It's very black (walls and lamps and chairs and ceiling). Too black. You can barely see. Some white and gray and tan (seat backs). Granite or marble table tops. The main room seats around 100! Ten baby chair seasts at bar and the aforementioned. Square room. High ceiling. Some art. Donald Bachelor looking pop culture collages. Plastic plants. Over all it is just tacky. I realize taste is subjective. Someone spent a few bucks on this vision. It just isn't what the cis gender (actually maybe not them in matters of style), Western, patriarchy (again maybe not them in these matters) brain washed into me. At least for a restaurant. Service (one guy with two floaters) was good. However, I can't recommend it. I'll mention that I popped by the London House while there. Despite what the internet says, they are back to being a private club. Only $5,000 a quarter though. But the money goes toward your meals... Still may be a cheaper than My Lounge in the end. Ooh that's needlessly snarky. But, it is making me grin. So it stays. Man my grade school English teachers would hate all these sentence fragments. Screw them! I'll write like I speak even if it isn't right. Ooh, good word play. Write. Right. Right! It's my life (lounge)! Go ahead with your own lounge...leave me alone!
*Travel Notes - Colorado and New Mexico: I flew Frontier to Denver and back (mid days) for $178. They were being dicks about personal item size in Denver. Hertz rental was $330. Brand new car. The weather reports were iffy and many resorts didn't extend their seasons (or weren't discounted at all), so, I didn't even ski. A whole week of audibling. First one. Drove 270 to 25N to Fort Collins. $208 (plus $15 parking) at Best Western University Inn for two nights. Walked to some breweries and a restaurant. Prost Biergarten and Black Bottle Brewery. Music City Hot Chicken. Avuncular Bob's Beerhouse. Had an expensive turkey pesto sandwich the next day at Ginger and Baker. Beer at Crooked Stave Artisan Beer Project and Maxline Brewing. Samples of gin and whiskey at Mobb Mountain Distillers. Walked the CSU campus. Dinner at Welsh Rabbit Cheese Bistro. Snails and mushrooms in cream. Pate de Campagne (Alexian from NJ). Cheese (Scharfe Max from SWI and Prima Donna from NL). Max tasted creamy and oniony. Donna was like parmesan. Sweet potato gnocchi in wild game curry. Tough, stringy game. Drove 25S to Raton NM. Freddy's and Arby's for meals. Stayed at Raton Pass Motor Inn for $87. Drove 25S to 285 to stop in Santa Fe NM for lunch of Eggs Consuela at The Pantry (on some show called Burger Land). Back to 25S to Albuquerque NM. Stayed at Sleep Inn Airport for $96. Snacks of a horrible slice at Slice Parlor and hot dog at Clown Dog. Saw Isotopes (AAA) play for $22 (walk up purchase of first row behind home plate) and $7 parking. Souvenir soda was $9! Everything closed at 9pm, so, had that shwarma at Sahara (I think it was Jordanese fare - a first if so). Lunch (all these places mentioned are on Central Ave) at Phat Stax Burgers. 2 Pac CB with ff. Buttermilk biscuit (great) at Ihatov. Back to Santa Fe NM. Stayed at Motel 6 for $96. It's close to city center and fighting Saturday rates. Went to Rail Yard area. Farmer's Market. Galleries. Beer at Second Street Brewery. Whiskey and vodka tastes at Altar Spirits. 1/4 lb, good brisket to go (ate next day) from Whole Hog Cafe (Arkansas bbq). Tamale in green chili from Chicago Dog Express. Into town center. More galleries and churches and some lady's house (Elliott Barker House) that had something to do with Smokey the Bear. Beer at Paxton's Taproom. Dinner at Cow Girl BBQ. Five Pepper Nachos (gross) and lame Margarita as seen on Best Thing I Ever Ate. Woke up early (actually the Universe woke me up early as usual and I went with it) and drove the 400+ miles (25N to 6W to 93N) to Golden CO. Went to Coor's Brewery. Free shuttle and parking to the plant and gift shop. Need reservations for tour. 93N to Boulder. This is the back way. Every one of these were all audibles by the way. Because of threatened cold temps and/or snowfall. Stayed at Boulder University Inn (close to CU and DT) for $103. Walked to Pearl St (DT). Decent turkey and gouda sandwich at Organic Sandwich Company. They had some kids' fair going on and all the restaurants were jammed. Walked to Boulder HS and CU. Pizza from Barchetta. I just stumbled upon it walking around. Patrons there said it was the top ranked on Yelp. Chicago dog at Mustard's Last Stand because of the name. Egg, etc breakfast at The Buff (on Man Versus Food). 93S to Golden to see Buffalo Bill's grave. 93S to 70E to 94S to 38th St to Tennyson to try and eat at Axios (saw it on 3D during the trip). It's gone now. Grabbed a steak and gorgonzola (or blue cheese) pasty at The Pasty Republic. Tennyson had many cute restaurants. Back to 70E to airport. Stayed at Sleep Inn for $113. Chocolate muffin at Corner Bakery Cafe because it was new. Nuggets from McD (just in the mood). Burrito and taco from TB (same). Egg, etc breakfast at Moonlight Diner. Because I always bypass it. Better than The Buff's at half the price. No probs with car return or flying home. Just missed a storm front. Gas was about $3.50 in both states. I saw some episode with Travels with Darley while there and she talked with George RR Martin about a train he saved in Santa Fe. I saw that train at the Rail Yard. Engine is painted like a dragon head. Saw that they have a Breaking Bad Tour Bus in Albuquerque.
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