Meze Fest

Dear Fellow Foodies,

My latest foodie event took place at Anatolia's Mediterranean Restaurant in Downtown Boca. We had a group of 20 who were treated to a wonderful selection of both hot & cold Mezes (or appetizers). Since Anatolia's doesn't serve wine, guests are encouraged to bring their own for a nominal charge of just $5 per bottle. Our wait staff was extremely attentive and were quick to open our bottles and chill any that needed to be chilled. Our first platter arrived and consisted of Hummus, Ezme (finely minced tomatoes, green peppers & onion), Babaganus (fire-roasted eggplant, tahini & herbs), Eggplant salad (fire-roasted eggplant, veggies & herbs) and Dolma (stuffed grape leaves). This came along with unlimited baskets of their home baked bread and homemade sun dried pepper dipping sauce, which was a big hit with this crowd!

Next up was a dish called Barbunya, which are kidney beans served slighly warmed with carrot, celerly and a light olive oil/lemon juice. Very tasty. Following the Barbunya came one of my favorite dishes: Kizartma - seasoned grilled veggies with a garlic yogurt sauce drizzled on top. We had grilled eggplant, zucchini, carrots & cauliflower. Kisir came out served on a lovely bed of romaine lettuce leaves. Kisir is a cracked wheat which the chef masterfully combined with scallion, tomato, parsely and a pomegranate molasses lemon juice to create a perfect blend of texture and seasoning. We were instructed to eat this by scooping the kisir onto the lettuce leaves, everyone willingly followed these instructions.

To end the night on a sweet note, we were treated to a homemade mini baklava square made with layers of phyllo dough, filled with pistachios and walnuts and drizzled with homemade syrup and then topped with crushed pistachios. If you've read my previous food blog that I did on Anatolia's "Let's Talk Turkey", then you will also see that I was served this most yummy creation for dessert. I am going to go out on a limb here and say that I dare anyone to find a better piece of baklava! Anatolia's in my opinion makes THE BEST, period!

So there you have it. To read some of the other comments made by my guests, please go to Anatolia's facebook page: www.facebook.com/AnatoliaBoca. While there, be sure to "LIKE" them.

They are located at 212 S. Federal Hwy. Boca Raton, 33432 561-361-4000
Open for lunch and dinner 7 days/week.

Stop in and say hi to the owners Nuran & Nadir. They will treat you, like they treated us...Like Family. Enjoy.

Until we eat again,
I send you delicious wishes xo,

Denise