Turkish Delight
March 28, 2014
Posted By: Bozemama
To hear some folks in Bozeman tell it these days, you’d think we were living in San Diego or something: “I am so over this snow. . .” they say, or “Isn’t it supposed to be spring already!?” No, people, it’s not. We live in Montana, remember? We go through this every year and sometimes it snows in July, so suck it up. Maybe it’s like labor, where the short-term memory habitually kicks in to help us cope with the agony of reality.
Anyway, Hermione, Charlie and I have learned how to fake it till we make it through the mud months of spring. We go to Chico and drink Shirley Temples and Daiquiris under the blazing hot sun; we listen to the Beach Boys and dance around the living room and we even spend the evening in Turkey every once in a while.
Well, not actual Turkey – no, not really . But we do go to the monthly Turkish Night at Z’s Meze Market (which is as close as we’re going to get to Asia Minor any time soon) and get our Ottoman on. And, in fact – given this latest onslaught of slushy flurries – we are very much looking forward to our Turkish escape this Saturday night .
Now some of you may know Z (a real person, chef, wife and mother whose full name is Zeynap Martello) as Bozeman’s own goddess of the gyro and heroine of hummus, but Z is originally Turkish and has a whole lot more to share with us than her market menu suggests. Which is why Turkish Night is such a lovely and delightful experience. Even breakneck winds and subzero temperatures couldn’t keep us from attending the first Turkish Night of 2014, where we showed up in open-toed sandals and were greeted with festive music and tables decorated with Turkish Delight.
The meal started with Piyaz, a Turkish salad made with northern beans, onion, parsley and sumac and was followed by a spectacular meze sampler. For those of you who may be wondering (like I did for far too long) what meze even means, it basically just means appetizer or small plate. So, after our tantalizing salad, we feasted on a killer plate of yummy bites of deliciousness: Midye (fried green mussels) with tarator sauce, artichoke bottoms stuffed with fava bean mousse, feta rolls, Z’s hummus, Pita and red lentil patties. After this, we were treated to not only lamb kebabs and lemon cake, but also a fabulous belly dancer who transported us to the shores of the Mediterranean while swaying and spinning around the restaurant with an urn balanced on her head. The wine and conversation flowed easily as the guests at all the various tables got to know each other and mingled while Z fussed over us all. It was a delightful way to spend the evening.
Now, if you're interested in experiencing Turkish Night (which is $35 a person) for yourselves, this Saturday night will be your last opportunity to do so for a while. With Z’s busiest season approaching, she will be taking a break and starting the dinners back up next fall. Saturday night's menu is as follows:
First Course : Turkish Village Salad
Second Course : Meze Sampler (Turkish zucchini fritters, Turkish style carrots with garlic yogurt, fried mussels with walnut and garlic sauce, Z's Hummus and pita)
Main Course: Eggplant kebab with ic pilav (rice with pine nuts, currants, and other spices)
Dessert : Tel Kadayif
Why not take a break from your own kitchen and take your family to Turkey for the evening? We'll see you there.
Kisses,
Bozemama
Call 406-586-3465 to make a reservation. Z's Meze Market is at 102 S. 19th Ave (at the corner of Babcock) in Bozeman.
