Galata Cafe
Galata is a Turkish cafe run by the same folks behind reputable Anatolia, found in the same strip mall. In fact, the scratch cooking that takes place here provides Anatolia with many of their goods.
You won’t find Anatolia’s legendary kebabs at this spot named for a city in Turkey, but what you will get are eclectic Turkish breakfasts, gozleme hand pies, and lots of Turkish coffee and tea.
The interior is casual but clean and bright, outfitted with tables covered with pretty tiling and gingham tablecloths.
A pastry case with baked goods and other ready-made items is at the far end of the store.
A small grocery section to the side carries some of the products served here.
Simit (traditional Turkish bagels) baked from scratch here are $6.95 to take home or served for dining in with feta, tomatoes and Turkish tea.
They’re larger and flatter than most bagels.
Chewy on the inside and light and crunchy on the outside, they’re covered in an abundance of nutty sesame seeds.
A Turkish sausage omlet ($7.95) is less an “omelette” and more just two soft over easy eggs served with rounds of beef sausage that are fine ground in the middle and crispy around the edges, scattered with spices, herbs and a couple cherry tomato halves.
A Turkish breakfast ($9.95) is the typical assortment of tapas-like little goodies: feta, mozzarella, cucumber, tomato, green and black olives, a dried fruit and nut assortment, fairly run-of-the-mill jam and packaged butter that’s not quite as homey as the clotted cream at other places, honey and halva.
The breakfast also comes with a basket of various house breads, including the simit, some plain white bread, and a pogaca (a bun stuffed with feta and parsley).
Of course, the picture wouldn’t be complete without glasses of aromatic Turkish tea.
Manti ($12.95) are bite-sized Turkish dumplings stuffed with ground beef reminiscent of tiny ravioli, topped with a generous amount of creamy, sour yogurt and paprika. It’s a comfort staple of this cuisine, also available to buy so you can make this dish at home.
Gozleme ($11.95) are light, fluffy, crunchy triangles of very thin Yufka flatbread that almost matches the texture of phyllo, making these stuffed snacks similar to Greek pies. We go for a vegetarian spinach and feta that’s especially Greek feeling, and a more hearty, ooey gooey Turkish sausage and mozzarella.
Turkish coffee ($3.95) is traditionally prepared, grainy, bitter and excellently strong. I’ve had perhaps coincidental issues here and at Anatolia with spillage during service, but otherwise it’s elegantly presented in precious cups with a piece of Turkish delight.
Those already in love with the offerings at Anatolia will delight in seeing the daytime side of Turkish cuisine at this place.
Hector Vasquez