Open: Café Mediterranean

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The newest menu on East Hyde Park’s Erie Avenue international strip (current tenants sell Irish beer, Thai noodles, and Italian-inspired wood-fired pizza) is Turkish. Fahri Ozdil, owner of longtime Blue Ash outpost Café Mediterranean, opened a third location (there was also a now-shuttered Anderson location in existence for several years) in April, just in time for prime outdoor dining season. Nab a patio table and sample excellent scratch-made stuffed grape leaves (most local restaurants buy them pre-fab), sucuklu hummus (hummus with Turkish sausage), and plenty of kebab entrees featuring everything from lamb shoulder to chicken to filet mignon alongside fluffy white rice pilaf with toasted pine-nuts and seasonal vegetables. Oftentimes restaurants featuring foods of the Middle East don’t serve alcohol. Café Mediterranean isn’t just an exception; they have a well-curated wine list with by-the-glass favorites (riesling, pinot noir, malbec, et al) as well four different Turkish selections, including Yakut and Çankaya, which are blends of native grapes.

 Café Mediterranean, 3520 Erie Ave., East Hyde Park, (513) 871-8714, café-mediterranean.com

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