Cafe Orchid - Top Turkish in town

Until Cafe Orchid opened, I had resigned myself to the fact that Chicago's Turkish food scene was sub-par. Every time I visited New York, I'd make a beeline to Tacis Beyti to get my authentic Turkish fix. No longer! I've known for years that Cafe Orchid is my favorite Turkish restaurant in town, but it wasn't until I returned from a trip to Istanbul that I really appreciated how lucky we are to have it here. Some of their finest dishes wouldn't be out of place on İstiklâl Caddesi. Appetizers like the ezme and the eggplant salad pack a flavorful punch, and go great with the basket of warm, fresh Turkish bread that accompany every meal. The entrees keep the hits coming--grilled, marinated meats among my personal favorites.



Though some menu items receive more praise than others here on LTH, Cafe Orchid is nearly universally lauded in its main thread. Finding some choice quotes wasn't too hard. Here are some standouts, in chronological order:

abolt: "A hidden gem…very charming family type of place."

rmtraut: "I went to this place on a whim, and was glad I did…The food was great"

Habibi: "Absolutely wonderful…food was great…highly recommended…I just love this place"

crrush: "I’m happy to repeat previous praise—incredibly fresh and tasty dishes. Clearly, someone in the kitchen has a great hand for seasoning, and goes the extra mile in putting together ingredients from scratch."

Mike G: "Good fresh renditions of some classic dishes."

Commbrkdwn: "Just returned from an absolutely delicious meal here…I'm pretty sure I'll end up being a regular here."

Suzy Creamcheese: "What a great meal"

ViewsAskew: "…happy we'd found a new place that was not only able to accommodate us, but that did so seemingly as if we really mattered to them."

skess: "Cafe Orchid has earned a solid spot in the rotation"

Jed: "I have had many wonderful meals at Cafe Orchid…I'm amazed that Cafe Orchid doesn't get more discussion here...it's a quintessential LTH kind of place."

turkob: "I think their strength is their meze. They do good versions of classics like lentil kofte, imam bayildi, ezme, eggplant salad and bean salad. I rarely go out to eat those food because they're easy to make and I make them at home, but if I don't want to cook and I'd like to share those foods with friends, Cafe Orchid is my first choice."

riddlemay: "I agree with all those here who consider it a very special place…Overall, everything he did made us feel welcomed; I don't want to go overboard, but the feeling of hospitality he extended almost made me feel as if I were a guest in someone's home. Cafe Orchid--a treasure!"

leek: "It definitely felt like we were in a restaurant in Istanbul."

jfibro; "I had ...the Iskender last night. Once you get a perfect bite of buttery bread, tomato sauce, doner meat and yogurt together, you've handed over all control to your hand and mouth, because your brain won't be able to stop you until the plate is clean."

boudreaulicious: "delicious, very reasonable, BYO... solid and interesting Turkish--the food is very fresh and a bit more diverse menu than the typical schwarma spot."

It is with great pleasure that I nominate Cafe Orchid as a Great Neighborhood Restaurant.

Cafe Orchid
1746 W. Addison
Chicago, IL 60613
(773)327-3808
http://cafeorchid.com/

Edited to fix misspelling of one LTH user's name

I would second this nom, its truly is a great neighborhood restaurant. Feel very lucky to have down the street And has always been tasty, reliable and the passion of the owner drives the success of the restaurant.

Its been a couple years, but yeah, this place is great.

Yes, yes, yes. I've been wanting to nominate them for years. They are the Turkish (pre-renovation) Salam: that is, best in class, offering near-perfect renditions of simple, everyday classics from the mother country. I've eaten a lot of Turkish in NYC, which has a huge Turkish population, and Cafe Orchid stands with the best of the joints here. It even compares favorably to restaurants I visited in Istanbul. Just a wonderful place, a gem in an otherwise boring (culinarily) neighborhood. If this place isn't a GNR then you might as well call LTH "Yelp with more words."

I'm putting together a group on Friday March 1 to visit GNR nominees Cafe Orchid and Scofflaw. Details and sign-ups are here. Space is limited, so if you'd like to join in, please sign up asap.

Thanks

=R=

Cafe Orchid has been my destination whenever I crave food that is just like back home. I never had anything that I didn't like there. I fully support this nomination

I definitely support Cafe Orchid as a GNR. It's got the whole package going for it. Great food and great service. Here's a post of a recent dinner I had there.

as my quote above implies, fully supported. and have met turks there on multiple occassions, which is always a great sign.

Another worthy nom. I fully support, and am grateful for, Cafe Orchid, which is cheaper than flying to Istanbul (and honestly, sometimes a better tasting experience).

I can't believe they flew under my radar for so long. Had a wonderful meal last pm that put me in a food coma. Definitely GNR worthy.

Jazzfood wrote:Definitely GNR worthy.

I agree 100%. Cafe Orchid is a great neighborhood restaurant.
--Rich

We found this place several years ago when we were searching out Turkish restaurants after a fabulous vacation in Istanbul. We've been there three times, none recently enough that I can describe what we ate, but it was always very delicious and the service was friendly. I would agree that it is the top Turkish in town and should be a GNR. For an additional point of comparison, last year I ate at several Turkish places in NYC, and none of them served me anything as tasty as Cafe Orchid did, nor were they warm and friendly.

As I just posted here, I have much love for Cafe Orchid and enthusiastically support this nomination.

=R=