Pera Mediterranean Brasserie Weekend Specials
Weekends are a great time to visit Pera Mediterranean Brasserie, with all kinds of specials to enhance an already vibrant scene. You'll find a stellar selection of music on Live Jazz Saturdays (6:30 to 10pm in the Bar & Lounge area), with 50% off all wine bottles, covering a smart selection of Mediterranean and other top vintages; three-course Mediterranean Sunday Suppers (5-9pm; $34/person) also offer 50% off all wine bottles. Weekend brunch is a New York tradition and Pera Mediterranean Brasserie serves a great one, Saturday and Sunday from noon to 3pm. Order a la carte, or choose from a $29 prix fixe. There's also two hours of bottomless brunch cocktails for just $19.
Inside Scoop: Pera Mediterranean Brasserie
You may be on Madison Avenue, but when you step into Pera, you're entering the kind of sophisticated restaurant you would find in Istanbul. An authentic open Turkish kitchen is like a stage in the back with the feel, flavors, and sounds of the eastern Mediterranean. An international wine list showcases wines from Turkey as well as other Mediterranean regions.
Traditional Pidettes, fresh from the oven, are mini flatbreads, a Turkish pizza with toppings such as spinach and pine nuts. Among the mezes (appetizers), the Roasted Whipped Eggplant is smoky and comforting. The Lentil and Bulghur Tartare is delicious, as are the tender Homemade Grape Leaves that look like tiny sushi rolls. Salads are considered as meze and there's a delicious Watermelon and Feta Salad served with a basil dressing for an exciting new taste combination and refresher before the main course.
For one of the best lamb experiences you may ever have, try Lamb Adana, named for the Turkish city that created the ancient technique that removes all the meat and fat from the bones and recombines it with a spice mixture of sumac and onion. After marinating, the meat is pressed onto long skewers and grilled. The resulting kebabs are presented on house-made lavash, a flatbread made from dough rolled flat and slapped against the side of a hot oven, then baked just before serving. Tear off a piece of the bread and wrap it around some of the kebab with chopped onion, peppers, and tomatoes —Marian Betancourt
Also located at 54 Thompson St. in SoHo.
Pera Mediterranean Brasserie Photos
