The atmosphere alone is worth the trip to Talulla's, a Turkish restaurant on Chapel Hill's Franklin Street. Oriental carpets adorn the walls in shades of red, lanterns hang from the ceiling and purple glass lanterns pepper the walls. Walking into Talulla's warm red hues feels like home--a lush, foreign home.
A slender man weaves between tables and kneels by customers to make sure the meal is to their liking. He is Demir, the scrupulous owner who checks every plate before it leaves the kitchen. Requiring perfection of each dish, he vows that a sub-par meal will never reach your table. "It's something I want, and I think the customer wants too, though they may only realize it after the fact," he says with a smile.
The waitstaff is cheerful and patient under pressure, and deftly answers menu questions. Don't let the menu, with its Turkish titles and English descriptions, intimidate you; waiters effortlessly pronounce any item you point to or clumsily attempt to pronounce.
The menu represents various Turkish regions, but will be familiar to lovers of Greek and Lebanese food, according to Demir. Adapted from traditional cookbooks, the menu is prepared by two cooks originally from Turkey. "It's very traditional," Demir said of the menu. "A Turkish person could come in and look at the menu and say, 'Oh this is Turkish.'" He soon proves this statement, kneeling by a table of smiling diners and speaking energetically in Turkish.
The menu includes soups, salads and appetizer-portioned vegetable, meat and seafood dishes called mezzes. Demir explains that in Turkey a group shares a few mezzes and orders entrees if appetites permit. Patlican Salatasi, a grilled eggplant mezze with roasted red peppers, is well-seasoned but a little too tangy (although another diner gushed that it was "to die for!"). Barbunya Pilaki, a dish of Barbunya beans, tomatoes, parsley, onions and olive oil is simple yet flavorful. Most vegetarian mezzes are served cool or room temperature, while seafood and meat mezzes are served warm; all arrive with fresh sesame seed-topped bread. Delicately strewn with sprigs of herbs, the mezzes are as delightful to the eye as they are to the palate.
Talulla's entrees include seasoned and skewered lamb, seafood or filet mignon and several "Turkish pizzas," or pides, which are a far cry from greasy American-style pizzas. Pides nearly enclose their contents, which include feta cheese and veggies, beef or seafood. A little over a foot long and big enough to share, pides have crusty exteriors, chewy interiors and arrive perfectly glazed from the oven. The Sebzeli Pide bubbles forth feta, kazar and mozzarella cheeses, and is topped with Gemlike olives, mushrooms, zucchini and green peppers. It's filling, but not heavy; flavorful, but not overbearing--overall, well worth ordering.
For dessert, there's baklava, crème caramel (a vanilla custard) and sütlaç, a fabulous baked rice pudding sprinkled with fragrant cinnamon.
Talulla's extensive selection of mezzes and entrees offers something for everyone from vegetarians to the heartiest meat-eater. The next time you venture to Chapel Hill, stop by Talulla's and make a little home in Turkey, if only for a while.
Talulla's is located at 456 West Franklin Street in Chapel Hill. Prices range from $5--$9 for mezzes and $8--$17 for pides and entrees. There is a long wine list and a bar which stays open until midnight, where mezzes can be ordered until closing.
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