The Restaurant That Keeps Me . . . Content, Captivated, Captive: by Steve Renfro

Walking on Hoyne Ave., dreading the task ahead of me as I wandered past flower gardens and trees in full braggadocio verdancy, I rang the doorbell of the vice-principal who had invited the teachers over for your run-of-the-mill torture session: a faculty party. Rumor had it that the first ten to arrive would be excused from a month’s worth of morning duty, so I dragged myself to the front door and rang the bell once . . . and knocked twice . . . but nobody came down. Having met my social obligation, I walked away with both a clear conscience and an empty stomach.

I headed up to Roscoe and walked past Turquoise Cafe, a small restaurant that had three tables of relaxed customers taking in the summer air. I asked the waiter if I could get a table and was immediately taken to a quiet table where fresh bread and cool water awaited me. After bouncing around four languages with the friendliest waiter to be found in a big city, he promised to take care of me with the best food his neighborhood had to offer.

I started off with a smoked salmon carpaccio topped with greens, a diced boiled egg, capers, and a very spicy pepper. Each ingredient complimented the other, and the salmon behaved itself with a light, smoky flavor that did not overstay its welcome. Next up was an arugula salad with potatoes, walnuts, boiled eggs, and seared ahi tuna. What set this salad off was the light drizzling of a balsamic reduction that added zest without overpowering the salad’s fresh ingredients. I finished with a salt-crusted sea bass prepared tableside with fire and masterful filleting. 

Weaved throughout the dining experience were anecdotes from my well-traveled waiter’s experiences that captivated me and kept me coming back to this restaurant. In fact, my partner and I frequent this restaurant multiple times each month, because this chef’s melding of Turkish and other international flavors is always interesting and never over-priced. So, if you find yourself escaping a social train wreck or are looking for an intimate place to eat and woo the person you love, Turquoise Café will always have its doors open to you.