BYOB: Cafe Orchid
The spot: This week, the best place in town to score a doner kebab is at the Chicago Turkish Festival (click for details) which runs through Saturday in Daley Plaza. But if you find yourself craving Turkish food the other 361 days of the year, we’ve got a solid backup. Tucked in an L-shaped storefront in the corner of a small parking lot, Cafe Orchid (click for hours, maps, etc.) might not initially tempt you to pull off the road. But after one taste of the authentic Turkish cuisine, your car just may become a fixture in that lot. Chef-owner Kurt Serpin cooked at A La Turka and the now shuttered Cafe Istanbul before opening his Lakeview BYOB almost a year ago. He says customers rave about the manti, or Turkish ravioli, stuffed with spicy ground lamb and served with homemade garlic yogurt and butter ($12.95). That Turkish classic, the doner kebob, is a generous helping of homemade Turkish gyro sliced thin and served with salad on top of white rice or bulgur ($11.95). Opt to sit in the quaint, modestly decorated dining room, or snag a seat on the outdoor patio.
The bottle: It’s always a bonus when you can find a liquor store within stumbling distance of a BYOB, and it’s an absolute delight when that liquor store is a quality, family-run operation like West Lakeview Liquors. Owner Kristina Bozic is a fan of the nearby Turkish joint and recommends wines she’s paired with Cafe Orchid food herself. The Burgans Albarino ($12.99), a white from northwest Spain, is “a little bit on the saltier side with a lot of body,” so it pairs well with spicy, flavorful foods. If you’re looking for something to stand up to the lamb and beef dishes, try a bottle of Chateau Musar ($18.99) from Lebanon, a red blend aged in stone vats, an ancient style of creating wine. Cafe Orchid does not charge a corkage fee. -- Emily Hiser Lobdell is a Metromix special contributor.