FOR BREAKING NEWS VISIT WWW.QNS.COM MARCH 14, 2019 • BUZZ • THE QUEENS COURIER 67
VICTORIA’S A Turkish delight in Manhattan
When I acquired multiple
media outlets
in Manhattan, I got
to meet new interesting people
and places. Last week I visited a
decades-old Turkish restaurant
and neighborhood institution on
the Upper East Side with a new
owner who went from handling
real estate to joining
the restaurant business.
An old friend brought
me to Uskudar, a remarkable
Turkish cuisine
restaurant named for
an Istanbul neighborhood
that has survived,
expanded
and fl ourished for
more than 32 years.
Th ey are unique in
ways beyond their
menu. One partner
in the business,
Ibrahim Ozdemir,
is Muslim and the
other, Jacob Beri,
is Israeli. They
work well together
through clearly
defi ned and respected
responsibilities.
Th at’s not an easy
task for any business,
but they have done it,
with Ozdemir being the
professional chef who
keeps his dishes consistent
and his partner, the handsome
and well-spoken Beri,
who watches the front of the
house, making for a winning
formula.
And then there is the food; I
enjoyed multiple dishes with my
friend.
We began with appetizers
such as cacik, a rich yogurt with
shaved cucumber enhanced
with garlic and dill — delicious!
Th en we had Patlican baby eggplant
salad with garlic and herbs,
well-balanced and not heavy
handed with garlic.
Many dishes are similar
to what you fi nd on most
Mediterranean restaurant
menus but here is unique
dish that one I particularly
enjoyed: Sudjuk, a grilled
Turkish cured beef sausage.
Don’t miss it!
There are multiple
salads including
Marul, a crispy combination
of lettuce,
tomatoes, cucumbers
and peppers
with a rich, juicy
feta cheese.
For our main
course, we enjoyed
chargrilled lamb
dishes including
lamb patties (Koft e)
and lamb Adana,
skewered with
mouth-watering
seasonings. If you’re
not into lamb, there
are multiple chicken
and vegetarian dishes
to enjoy.
Of course, I had to
have the traditional and
fl aky Baklava but I was
blown away by the Kayisi,
a simple poached apricot
topped with almonds and
fresh whipped cream — a perfect
blend of textures and fl avors,
and a great way to end
the meal.
Uskudar, located at 750
Second Ave., is easily accessible
and open 7 days a week for
lunch and dinner. Try it — you
too will love it!
SECRETS
Victoria
SCHNEPSYUNIS
vschneps@gmail.com
tweet me @vschneps
A delicious dessert of Kayisi
Jacob Beri (l.) and Chef Ibrahim Ozdemir
River Cafe great for over 40 years
I enjoyed a treat of all treats — dinner
last week at the incomparable
River Cafe under the watchful
eye for 40 years of the consummate
restaurateur, Buzzy
O’Rourke.
Tucked away under the stately
Brooklyn Bridge is this gem
of a restaurant that makes me
feel special the minute I drive
up the cobblestone driveway
enhanced by sparking lit trees
and then welcomed into the fl ower
fi lled entry foyer.
My seat at the window overlooking the
East River (where I watched the constant passing
of ferry boats) made me feel like I was on a boat overlooking
the sparkling Manhattan skyline. Th e River Cafe
has not just survived on its unique setting, but rather on
the quality of the prix-fi xe, three-course meal with great
service.
River Cafe is located at 1 Water St. in Brooklyn.
An
innovative
podiatrist
For years, my feet have betrayed me with
my second toe being longer than my others.
Some people told me that it meant I was of
royal heritage!
For me, it’s been a search for help, always discounting
surgery because I remember my mom
was off her feet for weeks and that is not possible
for me and my busy lifestyle.
So when I heard of Dr. Andrew Glass, I wanted
to meet him and hear more about a procedure
of minimally invasive work on my tendon.
He also off ers minimally invasive surgery
to remove bunions that cause many people
great pain.
He uses an anesthetist to work with him and
compares it to having a colonoscopy. I’ll keep
you posted when I have the procedure.
In the meantime check out Dr. Glass’ website,
nymidtownpodiatry.com.
Judge Pat DiMango at The River Cafe
/nymidtownpodiatry.com
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