More than Meze

From hidden seaside spots to chic hotel dining rooms, Bodrum's chefs are putting a contemporary spin on traditional Turkish cuisine.

- Hannah Selinger

ON OUR FIRST MORNING in Bodrum, my friend Emily and I sat down to breakfast at Ezi (entrées $13-$20). Kaan Yildirim - the executive sous-chef at our hotel, Susona Bodrum (doubles from $850)-guided us through the dishes. We savored crisp gözleme, a thin and flaky pancake stuffed with herbs; menemen, or scrambled eggs studded with tomatoes and peppers; kaymak, clotted cream, drizzled with honey; a kaleidoscope of jams; herb salads dressed with oil and lemon; and citrus-marinated olives.

"The olives are from our trees, right here on the property," Yildirim said, gesturing to the green and purple varieties on our plates. The restaurant's jams are another source of pride. "During winter, all the chefs go and pick the fruits and come back here, where we prepare our jams and bottle them and rest them for the summer." 

That night, in the tony Eskiçeşme neighborhood, Emily and I dined at Memedof (entrées $40-$80), looking onto a marina of bobbing sailboats. We selected our meze: octopus in olive oil, collard greens topped with lush yogurt, silver anchovies. Owners Mehmet and Tülin Çuhadar proudly source many of their ingredients nearby: my grilled fish, served with potatoes and fresh greens, had come straight from the Aegean that morning.