Turkish cuisine @ Avaspi

About this event

*NOTE: The $2 meetup fee is charged to pay for fees charged by Meetup.com. The payment can be made via Cashapp/PayPal/Zelle - I will PM you payment details upon RSVP.*

Menu: https://avaspirestaurant.com/food-menu

Table for 10 at Avaspi, a Turkish tapas restaurant in Lakeview. The restaurant opened in 2024 and is owned by Mehmet Duzgun, who grew up in southeast Turkey. The restaurant was profiled by Block Club Chicago.

From Block Club Chicago:

"At Avaspi, diners can try Anatolian classics like dolma, which are vegetables and grape leaves stuffed with meat or rice, tomatoes and herbs; and ezme, a salad made with finely chopped walnuts, tomatoes, onions, peppers and parsley.

There are also dishes like muhammara, a spicy dip made of walnuts, red peppers, pomegranate molasses and breadcrumbs; and haidari, a yogurt dip with fresh herbs."

"Many of the dishes Duzgun makes are from his family and hometown, like a Kurdish meat-filled dumpling called kutilk which follows his mother’s recipe. These traditional menu items are then served in a “modern, chic” and open space, complete with dim lighting, black marble tables and velvet seating."

"People in many parts of central and east Anatolia, including Turks, Kurds, Arabs and Assyrians, sit on the floor to eat meals, placing dishes in the center and sharing them with one another. Translating that concept into a restaurant “has always been something that I wanted to do,” Duzgun said.

“There are different ethnic groups of people who have lived in Anatolia in general for centuries,” Duzgun said. “All these different ethnic groups have their food cultures, and they do certain things a little bit differently, and I was always interested and inspired by how they make food according to their culture.” The menu also features a variety of beef, chicken and seafood dishes."

From The International Supper Club of Chicago