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“Turks and Frogs”


  Occasion: Cuisine: Area: Cost: Rating:
  Night Out New American West Village Cheap Eats Good

TURKS AND FROGS

On a dark, sleepy block of West 11th Street, just past the mile-long line to get into the Spotted Pig for April’s Gnudi, you’ll spy a glass storefront with a red sign hanging above, reading “Turks and Frogs, Wine Bar and Antiques.” When you walk by, you’ll stop. You won’t be able to resist going inside, even if just to figure out exactly how they are selling furniture along with wine and hummus.

Once inside, though, you’re not going to leave anytime soon. Along the same lines as Bellavitae, Turks and Frogs is a place that not only beckons—its appeal is magnetic.

Turks and Frogs is the creation of brothers Osman and Orhan Cakir, a pair of sweet and super handsome guys who started this shop as a furniture story and decided to combine it with their love of wine. What results is a sultry den of vino, mezze, and furniture—a combination that works well for a date, a night out with friends, or just a glass by yourself at the bar. (There is an international selection of red and white wines with a few from Turkey that have some spirit.)

When we arrived, the bar was buzzing, and a big adorable Golden Retriever was sleeping at the feet of his owner—a flawlessly beautiful young woman who reminded me of Kate Moss. (It might have been her.) Soon we parted company with the Kate Moss look alike and her great dog and were seated at a table in bar room, softly lit with the dancing light of candles.

I’ll get right to the point here. There’s nothing not to love about this wine/mezze/furniture nook. It’s got a great sexy vibe, a nice wine list, a collection of attractive people seated at the bar and in the living room like lounge toward the back. My only complaint about Turks and Frogs is that there isn’t more to eat. We ordered the entire menu. Twice. On the first go round, we used our fingers to clean the plates of lebne—a thick and super creamy yogurt studded with walnuts that was almost pudding like, sort of like yogurt on Botox. We demolished a great chunky, feisty and smoky eggplant salad, made quick work of a quartet of fresh, taut cylindrical grape leaves stuffed to capacity with rice and lifted up with coriander, cumin and lemon, and scarfed down what appeared to be a Turkish take on proscuitto—sort of a sweet, smoky cured beef. In minutes our table was covered with empty plates and drained wine glasses. We had no choice but to order another round. The waiter was a bit alarmed. “Yes, the whole menu, ... [more, click below]

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Other restaurants in West Village :
+ Jefferson-- Closed   + La Palapa Rockola   + Sumile   + Babbo   + Tasca   + AOC Bedford   + Home   + The Spotted Pig   + Barbuto   + Numero 26   + Mas   + August   + Alta   + Cru   + Blue Mill Tavern-- Closed   + Employees Only   + Lassi   + Metropol--Closed   + Turks and Frogs   + Bellavitae   + Yumcha-- CLOSED   + Gusto: SEE EARLIER REVIEW; THIS CHEF HAS LEFT GUSTO   + Perry Street   + Home   + Ditch Plains   + The Little Owl   + Cafe Condesa   + Cafe Cluny   + Gusto   + The Waverly Inn   + Morandi   + P*ONG   + Perilla   + Soto   + Market Table   + Centro Vinoteca   + Barfry   + Dell'Anima   + Bar Blanc   + Smith's   + Commerce   + Elettaria   + Bar Q   + Cabrito   + 10 Downing   + Minetta Tavern   + Braeburn   + Scuderia, by guest reviewer Kathleen Squires   + Bar Blanc Bistro by Guest Reviewer Kathleen Squires   + Joseph Leonard   + Bar Henry, by Guest Reviewer Kathleen Squires   + Kin Shop   + Monument Lane   + Wong   + Bin on Bleecker, by Dara Pollak   + Ristorante Rafele   + Cole's Greenwich Village by Guest Reviewer Claire Jaffe   


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