TURQUOISE'S recent move from Mamaroneck has in many ways been auspicious. The restaurant's new quarters here are spacious and lofty. Walls awash in the blues, greens and, yes, turquoise of the Mediterranean convey a sense of perennial summer. The menu also lists dishes from that region, particularly Turkey.
There is room now for the weary to nip in for a casual quick pick-me-up of delicious Turkish coffee and a flaky Middle Eastern pastry, the latter from a tray in the fancy-food shop sharing the space. Along with nonperishable items like biscuits and crackers, the food shop stocks a refrigerated case full of cheeses, butters and prepared foods, many of which can be found among the restaurant's offerings.
This is also the place to share a plate of meze -- a satisfying array of snack food. Wash it all down with one of the teas or a glass of beer or wine. There is no bar. Following the restaurant's theme, most wines, modestly priced, come from countries around the Mediterranean -- Turkey, Italy, Israel. Beers from around the world are also available.
The move hasn't been without risks. The restaurant is situated in the midst of a dozen other food shops and restaurants cramming the streets around the busy intersection of Palmer and Chatsworth Avenues. But Turquoise's draw is that it's different -- a break from seared ahi tuna and porcini ravioli. The food is healthful and moderately priced. And the menu is authentic with the kind of preparations one finds all over Turkey. But since its early days six years ago, the kitchen seems to have become complacent and careless. Some dishes so vibrant and succulent in the past have become spiritless; and some food, particularly among the entrees, lacked spontaneity, as though prepared well in advance and reheated to order, often leaving them dry. The appetizers might owe their success to the fact that they were less processed.
Generous enough to share, the cold meze platter ($15) was a lovely assemblage of many of the single appetizers on the menu. The hummus of blended puréed chickpeas, garlic, lemon and olive oil was outstanding, especially smoothed onto pieces of warm pita. An order of ezme brought a delicious merging of finely chopped tomato, sweet peppers, onion and walnuts. Tabbouleh, baba gannouj and stuffed grape leaves rounded out the assortment, all discretely flavored, filling out the platter.
Zucchini pancake was the hit of the hot meze assortment ($25); and almost as tasty were the vegetable cakes (falafel) and flaky spinach pie included in this selection. In another appetizer choice, charcoal grilling imbued baby calamari with a haunting smoky edge. Crumbled feta gave some character to Turquoise Salad made of romaine lettuce, tomato and cucumber, which fresh as it was, could have been more inventive as it bears the restaurant's name.
Perhaps the greatest disappointments arrived with dishes of the main course. Nothing was wrong with the bed of rice or couscous and the selection of grilled vegetables -- often tomato, sweet peppers, onions, broccoli or eggplant -- accompanying every entree, but the featured item seemed tired. In addition, a sharp, thin tomato sauce might have been omitted in several offerings. That sauce was intrusive in an otherwise tasty dish of pressed lamb slices (iskender) on pita with yogurt. And the same tart sauce didn't help watery moussaka, (the eggplant was sodden mush) with diced lamb, tomato, onions and peppers.
Two long loaves of minced lamb, onions and parsley are called beyti, once a personal favorite; but packed hard, the ground lamb had lost its juiciness. Yogurt sauce ($1 extra) gave necessary moisture to patties of grilled minced chicken kofte. A shish of fish (as Craig Claiborne once called it) could be one of Turkey's national dishes. But here the cubes of swordfish shish kebab had spent too long in the marinade, and the result was mushy, astringent fish.
Desserts change often, and we were invited to check them out in the display case of the food shop. Creamy rice pudding, yogurt and those honeyed, frangible Middle Eastern pastries are usually on hand; the sweetness of the pastries balancing potent Turkish coffee.
Turquoise
1895 Palmer Avenue,
Larchmont. (914)381-3693
SATISFACTORY
Atmosphere -- Pretty, airy restaurant with an attached food shop. Parking on the street or in the train station lot in back of the restaurant. Good service.
Recommended dishes -- Cold meze plate or hot meze plate (for sharing), zucchini pancake, stuffed grape leaves, hummus, Middle Eastern pastries, Turkish coffee.
Prices -- Lunch and diner, appetizers and salads, $4.50 to $11 ($15 and $25 for assortments); main dishes, $14 to $21.
Credit cards -- Major cards accepted.
Hours -- Sundays through Thursdays, noon to 10 p.m.; Fridays and Saturdays, noon to 11 p.m.
Reservations -- Accepted.
Wheelchair access -- Street level.
The Ratings -- Excellent. Very good. Good. Satisfactory. Poor. Ratings reflect the reviewer's reaction primarily to food, with ambience and service taken into consideration. Menu listings and prices are subject to change.
Review published: Sept. 26, 2004
