FOOD REVIEW
Turkish Delight
Michael McGeary reviews the popular Middlesbrough
Turkish restaurant Meze Lounge…
I
’m so glad I married a carnivore. When
my wife told me she wanted to go to the
Meze Lounge for her birthday, I jumped
at the chance.
While neither of us could be accused of
being salad dodgers, there are times when
only perfectly cooked red meat will truly hit
the spot. It must be the caveman in me.
But being a hot summer’s evening, we
decided to start the proceedings with a
Turkish delight gin and tonic cocktail,
decorated with raspberries and the country’s
famous national confectionery.
While my wife loved it, as evident from
the dusting of icing sugar on the end of her
nose from the Turkish delight cube, it had
slightly too much sweetness and too little gin
for my tastes!
With our eyes already firmly fixed on
a meat-loaded main course as charcoal
cooking smells wafted in from the kitchen,
we decided to opt for vegetarian starters.
We shared borek, delicate filo pastry
parcels of feta cheese and parsley (£3.95),
healthy yesil faisulye (green beans and
onions cooked in olive oil with herbs (£3.95)
and delicious crispy haloumi fries served
with garlic dip and salad leaves (£4.50).
And then it was on to the meat. We
decided to order the Meze mixed kebab
platter for two (£30.95). The menu
promised that we wouldn’t be disappointed
– and we weren’t.
The platter was almost as big as the table
and consisted of chicken wings and breast,
lamb, steak, ribs and Turkish sausage, all
expertly grilled over red-hot coals – think
the best barbeque you’ve ever been to.
It was accompanied by pockets of
Turkish bread, mixed, dressed leaves and
a variety of dips, and we washed it all
down with a perfectly pleasant glass or
two of full-bodied 2016 Ephesus cabernet
sauvignon öküzgözü.
Established as one of Middlesbrough’s
most popular eateries since arriving on the
scene four-and-a-half-years ago, Meze was
bustling with couples and families enjoying
the smart café environment and informal
setting.
Hosts Bulent and Deanna offer a friendly
welcome and its little wonder that the Meze
Lounge has topped the restaurant table in the
town’s Trip Advisor rankings.
We’d like to tell you about the desserts on
offer, but had to admit defeat and were so full
we couldn’t even find room for coffee.
Instead we strolled happily home along
Linthorpe Road in the evening heat, feeling
like contented holidaymakers who had
enjoyed a genuine taste of Turkish culture.
tees-life.co.uk
17