Pera in Peril
9 Feb
Mount Lookout Restaurant Fails to Deliver
Empty. That’s what Pera Restaurant was when we entered around dinner time last weekend. They’ve been around since late November but the small Mediterranean restaurant in Mount Lookout Square was clearly having trouble attracting hungry diners.
You might think that the owner’s experience as a partner at Café Istanbul would have helped pack the dining room. But Umit Ayyildiz forgot two critical components of a good dining experience: pleasant atmosphere and good food.
Since we had every table to choose from, we sat under a glowing lantern by the front window. After attempting to “see the wine list,” we were gently informed about Pera’s lack of liquor license. When the food started coming out, I was eternally grateful that my husband had decided to run across the street to buy a bottle of wine. (Thankfully, there is no corkage fee at Pera.)
While I waited for him to return, I studied the room. Though Persian rugs adorned the walls in some places, most of the wall space was left empty. And the room, clearly in need of a fresh coat of paint, was almost garish in its pinkish peach color.
After we popped the cork of our brand new bottle of Cabernet, we opted to start with something besides the Mediterranean Sampler. We got a plate of Feta Bourek — melted feta cheese wrapped in logs of phyllo dough. But the rolls were just okay and could have just as easily come from a microwavable box at the grocery store.
My real horror came when dinner arrived. Despite the fact that I had asked our server to deliver the “single best dish on the menu,” my Lamb Kabob was an embarrassing serving of overcooked, tough chunks of meat. To be fair, the lamb was seasoned well and was at least hot — which was more than I could say for the side of mashed potatoes, which was bland and cold.
The Chicken Kabob was equally charred and overcooked. Like the Lamb Kabob, it came with a side of vegetables. Unfortunately, the thick slices of carrots were undercooked and hard. The rest of the vegetables were dripping with cold butter. Yes, cold butter. To make matters worse, the kabobs ran us around $17 each.
Hoping that our experience would perk up with dessert, we finished the meal with a serving of Baklava. But considering the fact that my husband’s mom has so frequently spoiled us with her famous recipe — rich, sticky, and delicious — this was probably a bad idea. Pera’s version of the dessert was average at best — the watery syrup seemed to drown the phyllo dough.
Maybe I could have excused the bad food and lack of proper decor if the owner had made any effort at all to make us feel special — after all, only two tables were occupied. But no such luck. Pera is one restaurant in Mount Lookout Square that I will avoid at all cost.
They have been open since November! The last time I drove by I though the place was getting ready to open. So disappointing.
Exactly what I thought too… it’s always looks closed.
I was equally disappointed in Pera. My husband and I went on a week night in December. Only table in the restaurant. Food was not good and the decor was extremely lacking. We really liked the food and atmosphere at Cafe Istanbul. I don’t get Pera. Thanks for the review. I was hoping it would get better, but I guess not.