FORT WORTH
If Fort Worth had a shortage of Mediterranean restaurants, we don’t anymore.
That was Chef Tim Love’s explanation for opening his new Greek restaurant, Meraki.
But within days of Meraki opening near the Fort Worth Zoo, Beren Meze & Grill brought a new Turkish restaurant to the Near Southside.
Now, Fort Worth has two flashy new options for Mediterranean dining.
Chicken kebab with garnish and a grilled jalapeño at Beren Meze & Grill House. Bud Kennedy bud@star-telegram.com
If you want a chef-driven Greek menu with everything from halibut to quail and lamb kofta, try Meraki, 1615 Rogers Road just off Intestate 30 near South University Drive.
But if you want a family-owned-and-operated Turkish restaurant with everything from Adana or doner kebab to a 22-ounce Texas rib-eye with grilled jalapeños, try Beren, 1216 Sixth Ave. near West Magnolia Avenue.
Both are notable additions to a dining-out list that already included Byblos Mediterranean, the Flying Carpet Turkish Cafe, Istanbul Grill and Terra Mediterranean.
More later on Meraki.
But Beren is definitely a surprise.
Barely a year ago, Çaglar Unlu (”Charlie”) debuted his baklava at the Stock Show, then opened a stand in the Medical District.
Now, the family has made the leap into the former Maiden, a beautiful restaurant space with patio between West Rosedale Street and Magnolia.
Beren is exactly what the hospital district has needed ever since King Tut moved a few blocks east.
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The decor at Beren Meze & Grill House, a handsome new restaurant on the Near Southside. Bud Kennedy bud@star-telegram.com
At lunch, it’s a $16-$20 stop for salads, kebabs or the tomatoes-and-eggplant dish known as Turkish delight chicken.
A dinner, it’s a choice for a night out, with a full craft cocktail menu and drinks like the “Turkish cowboy” with dark rye, honey, Turkish tea and cardamom.
The dinner menu offers lamb chops, specialties such as Pink Sultan, beyti kebab or saslik kebab (with that grilled jalapeño) and regional Turkish dishes such as “tantuni” steak wraps from Mersin or the lasagna-like “yaglama” from Kayseri.
Pink Sultan red beet dip with yogurt at Beren Meze & Grill House. Courtesy of Beren Meze & Grill House
Nightly specials include branzino, lamb shank or Turkish manti dumplings.
Beren is open for lunch and dinner daily; 682-246-7501, berentexas.com.
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Bud Kennedy is celebrating his 40th year writing about restaurants in the Fort Worth Star-Telegram. He has written the “Eats Beat” dining column in print since 1985 and online since 1992 — that’s more than 3,000 columns about Texas cafes, barbecue, burgers and where to eat.
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