being catty - 6.19.09

Don’t be turned off by it’s proximity to Condom Sense and Gizmo’s Tattoos, Izmir Deli and Market is a wonderful place for a quiet and quaint Mediterranean meal. Izmir Deli belongs to a larger restaurant group/family that owns the popular Cafe Izmir, just up the street on Greenville.


As I entered, the space reminded me of the cafes and espresso bars that dominate the European cities. Four or five small tables are fill the front quarter of the narrow store. Then a bar/countertop lines the entire right-hand side, leading back to the semi-open kitchen. On the left-hand side, starting at the same point as the countertop, retail shelves line the wall.


You place your order with the friendly little man behind the counter (who runs the place with an ease and accent that suggests he owns the joint). Avert your eyes from the mini-display of desserts beside the cash register; it holds beautiful brownies the size of bricks and perfectly flaky baklava. Take your seat at one of the aforementioned tables or at the counter, the man (let’s just call him Max, short for Maximus) will bring your drinks and silverware.


I like this place. It is as simple as that; time seems to slow down a bit inside Izmir Deli. I am transported back to better days (not really “better”, but writers incorporate nostalgia to generate empathy from their readers) when life was easy, when we walked to the school barefoot and come home to house filled with the scent of freshly baked cookies. Back to business, Max will deliver your food as soon as it hits the kitchen window. “Can I get you anything else?” I knew it; he saw me eyeing those brownies that sneaky devil. “No, thank you.”


Hummus, Eegra, and Russian Chicken Salad. I ordered the Mezza Platter (serves 1) choose any three tapas, 4 oz. each, served with pita bread for $7.99. The “whipped” hummus has an incredibly smooth texture, unlike any hummus I have ever had. I enjoyed it thoroughly, but I must admit something here: my favorite hummus to this day is found in the wonderfully corporate Central Market deli. Theirs is unusually coarse for hummus with bits of chunky chickpeas, very light on the tahini and olive oil. A rustic hummus, if you will. Nonetheless, this hummus would be perfect for a party; it is a real crowd-pleaser. Next up, eegra is “a grilled eggplant dip” served warm, it is stewed with tomatoes and the secret spices. Eegra, scary as it sounds, is smoky, spicy and seductive. This was my favorite part of the platter. I ended up just taking a spoon to the eegra. Done and done. Last stop is Russian chicken salad. Now, this was the only dish that I ordered solely based on its fame and Yelp popularity. Lame, I know. It was a monochromatic ‘ice cream’ scoop of boring chicken salad. I was pleased to come across the occasional sweet pea, but other than that, it was not memorable. Served alongside the tapas was a basket full of pita bread, warm, fluffy and freshly baked. It was the ideal accompaniment to the hummus and eegra.


So ideal, in fact, that I wrote a little diddy for the trio:


We go together
like hum-hum-hummus and eegra and pita
Remembered forever
as Max’s massive brownies and buttery baklava
Chang chang...
Okay, you get the point.



Izmir Deli and Market
3607 Greenville Ave
Dallas, Texas
Phone: 214-824-8484


Photo Credit: DMN Guidelive.com