We made plans to dine with our friends, Mike and Lynn, this week and decided we should try someplace new. Lynn subscribes to the Naples News website and keeps on top of what is new and different in the area. This week she came up with Simit Fresh Mediterranean, a three month old Turkish spot located near the Naples Airport. I called for a reservation and asked about their corkage fee. I was informed that they have their own wines and don’t permit their patrons to bring wine. So I didn’t. When we got there I spoke with the manager and inquired why that was so. He said they have a $30 corkage fee. I guess I asked the wrong person.
The restaurant had several outdoor tables and a very nice, clean dining room. The servers were all very pleasant and patiently explained all of the dishes to us. The menu was full of very appealing dishes which might be found on menus in Greek or Lebonese or other Mediterranean places, but simply had different names. Lynn and I agreed on several smaller plates and decided to share. Mike and Barb found entrees that they wanted. So we got to explore the menu and taste each other’s food, my personal favorite way to check out a new place
They started us out with some bread served with a Tapenade and yogurt dip…These are the two pages of their menu.This is the Falafel appetizer. The four pieces are nicely fried and served in a pool of hummus. The tasty falafel were nicely enhanced by the very smooth and creamy hummus. Served with pieces of pita bread.This Mucver was my favorite app. I’m a big fan of zucchini pancakes in any form. It was topped with small dollops of Turkish cheese and the consistency was soft with crispy edges.The Babaganoush was splendid. It came with toast bits. It tastes like many of the Babaganoush dishes that we have enjoyed throughout Southwest Florida in the Middle Eastern eateries.This Turkish Meat Pide was a big hit with our group. The base was like a soft pizza dough covered with a ground beef mixture. They enhanced it with a side condiment of spicy sauce that we each used to customize the flavors to our tastes and heat tolerance.Mike pointed out that their Coca Cola was imported from Mexico where they use a different sweetener than we get in the US. He is a Coke afficianado and has earned my respect when discussing things like Soda, chocolate , pizza and burgers. Barb’s Salmon entree was both beautiful and delicious. The veggiesserved under the perfectly cookedsalmon enhancedthe overall flavor of the dish. Mike’s Iskenderun Kebab was a surprise to him. He had expected typical meats on a stick. This dish started with thin sliced beef, covered with a pita, tomato sauce and red pepper sauce with yogurt. I’m sure Mike would have preferred the traditional kebabs, but we all tasted the dish and thought it was pretty good.The Kunefe with ice cream was a toasty dessert served warm and covered in pistachios. The smooth ice cream was rich and , I believe, made from sheep’s milk. Quite good.The Pistachio Baklava was sweet and crispy. We added a scoop of the Turkish ice cream to make it even more decadent.The wine and beer lists.
We all enjoyed our evening at Simit. It was a perfect place to explore, share and taste different dishes from the Turkish kitchen. The casual and friendly ambiance made for a fun and pleasant place to spend an intimate evening with good friends.
JoshEatsandDrinks 