Meet the Chef: Bekir Helvacioglu of Turkish Meze

Being a chef was the last thing on Bekir Helvacioglu's mind growing up in Izmir, a busy Turkish port in the Mediterranean Sea basin. "It may be different elsewhere," he said, "but in Turkey, boys aren't welcome in their mother's kitchen."

"When I was a kid," said Helvacioglu, "I lived and breathed soccer; I spent my spare time on the playing field." All that practice paid off; he made the varsity soccer team in high school and college, and was recruited by a professional soccer team.

But he cut his career as a midfielder short to enroll at a hotel/restaurant school. "It wasn't so much that I liked to cook; I loved to eat," Helvacioglu pointed out.

Following graduation, he worked as an apprentice at restaurants in Kusadasi, Bodrum and Antalya, where fish, lamb and vegetarian dishes were the principal fare and phyllo dough pastries were savored as desserts. He learned how to bake a creamy casserole rice pudding, and includes one today on his restaurant's menu.

After five years gaining valuable restaurant experience, he arrived in the U.S. and found a job selling imported spices, olive oil and sun-dried tomatoes to restaurants and specialty food stores. But when an opportunity arose, he reentered the restaurant business as a waiter at Gino's, an Italian restaurant in Port Washington, Long Island.

Turkish Meze debuts

Eight years ago, he and two partners purchased a restaurant in Mamaroneck called Just Meze that had opened in 1999. They renamed it Turkish Meze. "Not all meze is Turkish," said Helvacioglu. "We wanted our customers to know they would be served authentic Turkish meze here."  Meze, invented in Turkey, differs from other foods in that it acts as a flavor enhancement - a compatible complement for the wine or other alcoholic  beverages served with the meal.

The restaurant took off slowly at first. Six months after opening, Helvacioglu bought out both partners.

Hot meze dishes available as small-plate dishes include grilled octopus, hummus, falafel, liver, mussels and zucchini pancakes. A large selection of cold Meze small-plate dishes is also offered.

Popular main courses include grilled Branzino ($22.95), served whole and unboned, and Sebzeli Guvec, a casserole with mixed vegetables cooked with tomato paste and olive oil ($15.95). Turkish Lamb Shish Kebab is another of the restaurant's often ordered main courses and a favorite of New York State Senator (and Mamaroneck resident) Suzi Oppenheimer, Helvacioglu said. 

The menu has not changed a lot since the restaurant opened. Barbunya, a cold bean appetizer cooked with olive oil, carrots, potato, onion and garlic, is being dropped from the menu because interest in it slackened, but many of the other original dishes were established Turkish favorites and remain popular, including Dolma (grape leaves stuffed with rice, pine nuts, currents and onions) and Soslu (lightly fried eggplant with tomatoes, peppers and garlic). Both Dolma and Soslu are priced at $6.95.

A two-course lunch special is available at $9.95 per person.

Helvacioglu, a resident of Mamaroneck, is still involved with soccer. He coaches a U-14 (under 14) team for the Westchester Flames, a soccer club whose teams play in the United Soccer League.  He is also the head coach for the Junior Varsity girls soccer team at School of the Holy Child in Rye.

Turkish Meze is located at 409 Mount Pleasant Ave., a few steps from Mamaroneck Avenue in Mamaroneck. It opens at noon every day and stays open until 9:30 p.m., Monday through Thursday and Sunday; and until 10 p.m. on Friday and Saturday. Call 914-777-3042 for delivery orders or to make a reservation. www.turkishmeze.com.