{"id":71673,"date":"2026-02-22T00:01:26","date_gmt":"2026-02-22T06:01:26","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.nmgastronome.com\/?p=71673"},"modified":"2026-03-31T20:00:15","modified_gmt":"2026-04-01T02:00:15","slug":"anatolia-mediterranean-albuquerque-new-mexico","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.nmgastronome.com\/?p=71673","title":{"rendered":"Anatolia Mediterranean – Albuquerque, New Mexico"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Anatolia Mediteranneal Grill at the Journal Center<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

As a bumpkinly but book-smart twenty-year-old away from home for the first time, I practically ached for adventure, something different… the antithesis of\u00a0 my agrarian upbringing.\u00a0 The Air Force accommodated me, sending me first to the cultural, culinary and cosmpolitan region around Boston, Massachusetts.\u00a0 It was an illuminating experience which I thoroughly loved, but after two years my wandering soul wanted to experience even further away lands.\u00a0 Though very open-minded, the only places not on my “dream sheet” of assignment preferences were Thule, Greenland; Shemya, Alaska; and the country of Turkey.\u00a0 The latter was based on having seen Midnight Express<\/strong><\/a> (on a date, no less).\u00a0 Though centered in a Turkish prison, the movie gave me a wholly inaccurate portrait of Turkish culture.\u00a0 I would rue that prejudice for the remainder of my Air Force career.<\/p>\n

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Pristine Dining Room<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Senior (and much wiser) mentors regaled me with tales of their experiences while stationed in Turkey.\u00a0 T\u00fcrkiye (the United Nations spelling since 2022), they told me, had everything I was looking for–a diversity of culture, a vastness of geographical features, geopolitical and religious history, an agreeable climate and unforgettable cuisine.\u00a0 The latter, of course, was especially important to me, a young man having been weaned on red and green chile and beans.\u00a0 T\u00fcrkiye, my mentors raved, was as enchanting as my home state with its diversity of flavors and cuisines, fragrant spices and delectable aromas emanating from of well-prepared meat and vegetable dishes.<\/p>\n

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Pastry Case<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

There wasn’t a time during my Air Force career that T\u00fcrkiye wasn’t on my dream sheet.\u00a0 The Air Force apparently knew better, sending me to England for both my “overseas” assignments.\u00a0 Perhaps I’m not destined to ever visit T\u00fcrkiye as my friends Tom and Ellyn Hamilton recently did.\u00a0 Surrounded by the Mediterranean, the Aegean and the Black Sea, T\u00fcrkiye has been ranked as among the world’s top-ten tourist attractions.\u00a0 Its unique location–acting as a bridge that connects Asia and Europe–and especially its colorful and vast culinary variety make it a country I still hope to someday visit.\u00a0 It’s heartening to know that even though T\u00fcrkiye isn’t in my immediate horizon, its cuisine is.<\/p>\n

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Brothers Mehmet and Umut Kokangul<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

It’s even more heartening to learn that one of my very favorite Middle Eastern slash Mediterranean restaurants anywhere has returned to Albuquerque.\u00a0 We learned of Anatolia’s return via comment on my blog.\u00a0 Mehmet Kokangul, the self-described “bald guy” (isn’t that term now considered sexual harassment?) apprised us that “Anatolia is back in the Albuquerque Journal Center and it\u2019s open now and we are still in the Sawmill market too.\u00a0 The Anatolia\u2019s new address is 7600 Jefferson Street NE Suite 21<\/em>.”\u00a0 Could there have been a better pre-Christmas, pre-Festivus gift?<\/p>\n

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Beautiful Lighting Throughout the Restaurant<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Mehmet is a peripatetic presence at Anatolia along with his younger brother Umut, the restaurant’s owner.\u00a0 You might see either or both sporting a shirt with a Turkish symbol resembling a bullseye.\u00a0 Umut isn’t joking when he tells you it’s an “evil eye” symbol, a talisman to ward off the evil eye curse and bring protection as well as good fortune.\u00a0 \u00a0Both Umut and Mehmet periodically flit back-and-forth to the Sawmill Market where the Meso Grill<\/strong><\/a> is located.\u00a0 As with most Sawmill Market restaurants, the Meso Grill operates out of a small pod (about the size of a concession stand) and doesn’t have dedicated seating (though there is copious seating nearby).\u00a0 It also has an abreviated menu offering much fewer options than Anatolia.\u00a0 Thankfully, that smaller menu includes baklava and other Turkish delights as well as rotisserie spits showcasing lamb and chicken.\u00a0 Meso Grill opened in 2022.<\/p>\n

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Lentil Soup<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Umut explained that one of the reasons he wanted to expand to a larger location was that he loves the interaction with guests.\u00a0 It’s mutual.\u00a0 Over the years, long-time habitues of Anatolia have pleaded with Umut to reopen the beloved Central Avenue restaurant.\u00a0 \u00a0Umut is a very friendly guy who’s cultivated a lot of friendships among guests to his restaurant.\u00a0 He’s as amicable and social as they come.\u00a0 He credits his quarter-century of restaurant experience with his passion for the cuisine of his homeland. The Kokangul brothers are originally from Adana, T\u00fcrkiye, five miles west of Incirlik Air Force Base.\u00a0 Umut shared with me just how much servicemen loved serving at Incirlik.\u00a0 If only I could relive my foolish youth…<\/p>\n

Umut is committed to using only the best ingredients he can and won’t serve any food he wouldn’t eat himself.\u00a0 He sources flour from Italy and uses unrefined sunflower oil to prepare various dishes.\u00a0 When he says love is the secret ingredient in Anatolia’s food, you’d better believe it.\u00a0 He’s a palate-pleaser as well as a people-pleaser.\u00a0 Although I had never really met Umut and Mehmet, they were very grateful for my having written about many happy meals at Anatolia.\u00a0 To say they treated me like a family friend is an understatement.\u00a0 It was more impressive to me that they treated other guests similarly.\u00a0 Sadly, there weren’t that many other guests.\u00a0 Anatolia had been open about a week when we first visited.\u00a0 Expect guest traffic to grow once word is out that this beloved restaurant institution is back in town.<\/p>\n

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Bread<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Anatolia’s location will be very familiar to long-time Duke City diners.\u00a0 It occupies the space which previously housed Torinos @ Home<\/a><\/strong> and before that Cafe Voila<\/strong><\/a>.\u00a0 Few vestiges of the space’s previous occupants remain.\u00a0 Umut has scoured restaurant supply companies and literally traveled across the fruited plain to give the space a complete make-over.\u00a0 \u00a0Colorful Turkish chandeliers illuminate the restaurant and accentuate the space with class.\u00a0 Flooring is resplendent in ebony and grey shades.\u00a0 My Kim fell in love with the Turkish tablecloths on each table.\u00a0 A gleaming stainless steel serving counter replete with drawers and trays occupies much of one wall.\u00a0 Though similar to buffet serving counters at other restaurants, Umut doesn’t plan on offering a buffet.\u00a0 Those trays will be used for something special Umut has planned for guests who can’t stay for a leisurely meal.<\/p>\n

Anatolia’s menu has not been completely finalized as of this writing (December 8, 2025).\u00a0 At this point, it lists six appetizers including baba ghanoush, my favorite starter at many Mediterranean eateries.\u00a0 Eight sandwiches, all constructed on freshly baked bread, also adorn the menu.\u00a0 Those include both kebabs and gyros.\u00a0 Lunch specials, which change daily, are available Monday through Friday from 10AM through 2PM.\u00a0 Entrees include all the specialties which made Anatolia a dining destination.\u00a0 Those include lamb chops, kofte kebab, lamb shish kebab, falafel plate and an iskender plate.\u00a0 If you’ve never had iskender (sliced meat topped with hot tomato sauce over pieces of pita bread, and generously slathered with melted special sheep’s milk butter and yogurt) you’re in for a treat.\u00a0 An array of delightful Turkish desserts are also available as are Turkish coffee and Turkish hot tea.<\/p>\n

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Spectacular Family Platter<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

8 December 2025:\u00a0 Note<\/strong>:\u00a0 In the spirit of full disclosure and transparency, our meal was comped, but we would gladly have paid twice the price for one the best meals we\u2019ve had in 2025. I rarely accept a \u201cfree meal,\u201d and when I do it\u2019s with the understanding that my review will include all warts and blemishes. Umut wouldn\u2019t have it any other way, not that he had anything to worry about\u2026not when Anatolia delivered a flawless meal and tremendous experience.\u00a0 Umut wanted us to experience all the best Anatolia had to offer so he delivered to our table, a spectacular combination platter<\/strong><\/em> showcasing so many of our favorites.\u00a0 It’s a platter he had served only once before, to a friend celebrating a birthday.\u00a0 We encouraged him to make it available to all hungry guests (especially those with an appetite like the UNM Lobo offensive linemen).<\/p>\n

8 December 2025<\/strong>: Our meal started with a soul-warming, comforting and nutritious red<\/strong><\/em> lentil soup<\/strong><\/em> served with bread.\u00a0 Though our preference would have been to experience the bread with butter, Umut wanted us to savor the bread sans distraction.\u00a0 Good call.\u00a0 The bread was quite good.\u00a0 The lentil soup was velvety and creamy though no cream was used in creating it.\u00a0 This tomato-based soup is richly seasoned and delicious.\u00a0 On a cold wintery day, it’s an elixir sure to satisfy your need for warmth and comfort.<\/p>\n

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B\u00f6rek<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

8 December 2025<\/strong>: The family platter<\/strong><\/em> was a cornucopia of richness: rice centered around a feast of kofte kebab, lamb shish, beef shish, chicken shish, salad, tzatziki sauce, grilled tomatoes and so much more.\u00a0 Where to begin.\u00a0 Every item–from the fluffy, buttery rice to the feta rich salad–was everything I remembered about Anatolia.\u00a0 Which is to say, it was all outstanding!\u00a0 It’s uncommon for me to rave about rice, but Anatolia’s rice is sheer and simple perfection, each nonstick grain a joy.\u00a0 A simple salad is hardly simple when the platter includes a hollowed out tomato holding sprigs of mint.\u00a0 Mint provides a wonderful counterbalance to feta.\u00a0 Among the magnificent meats, my Kim most loved the beef shish while my favorite was the kofte, grilled meatballs mixed with spices (and possibly aleppo peppers).\u00a0 With every one of the meats on the platter, it was easy to envision them nestled in a warm, freshly baked pita.<\/p>\n

8 December 2025<\/strong>: Among Umut’s loyal staff is a man renowned as one of T\u00fcrkiye’s best b\u00f6rek<\/strong><\/em> bakers.\u00a0 \u00a0It’s easy to understand why b\u00f6rek is irresistable to those of\u00a0 us who love savory pastries.\u00a0 \u00a0Picture thin sheets of pastry (not philo, but dough stretched out to waifishly thin consistency) layered with cheese, spinach or minced meat and baked until crispy and gold.\u00a0 These melt-in-your-mouth treats are likely a “must have” every time we visit Anatolia in the future.\u00a0 One b\u00f6rek was layered with feta cheese while the other was blessed with ground beef seasoned flawlessly.\u00a0 Anatolia’s b\u00f6rek is easily on par with the\u00a0 boureka from Lior The Baker<\/strong><\/a> a Jewish bakery in Scottsdale.<\/p>\n

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Delightful Turkish Delights<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

8 December 2025<\/strong>: I’ve always believed Anatolia’s pistachio baklava is the very best I’ve had anywhere.\u00a0 Thin sheets of philo dough layered with pastry, nuts and syrup create a stick, sweet bite that I can’t resist.\u00a0 Umut created something perhaps even better–baklava filled with banana and drizzled with chocolate then topped with pistachios.\u00a0 It is unbelievably good.\u00a0 Our dessert platter was a phenomenal treat, likely the only way our savory meal could be topped.\u00a0 Umut simply referred to other items on the platter as “Turkish delight.”\u00a0 Those delights included one-bite treats, some made with rose petals, others with pomegranate.\u00a0 Who needs candy when these pastries are around.<\/p>\n

22 February 2026<\/strong>:\u00a0 In Arabic, baba ghanoush translates to “spoiled daddy” or “pampered daddy.”\u00a0 The name stems from folklore about a loving daughter mashing food for her elderly father or a sultan being pampered by his harem.\u00a0 Baba ghanoush<\/strong><\/em>, the creamy, silky and smoky dip made from charred eggplant, tahini, lemon and garlic is one of my favorite appetizers, one that graces our table at most Middle Eastern restaurants.\u00a0 Anatolia’s version is outstanding!\u00a0 A delightful smokiness and a generous sprinkling of sumac (the Middle Eastern spice with a bright, lemony flavor and slightly astringent, fruity taste) make it among the best in the city.\u00a0 It’s not mashed to an oatmeal consistency of some baba ghanoush.\u00a0 Also unlike at other Middle Eastern restaurants, it’s not served with pita bread, but with the restaurant’s terrific bread.\u00a0 If you’re inclined toward Gil-sized scoops, you’ll be happy to see cucumbers on the plate.\u00a0 The refreshingly mild flavor of cucumber is a wonderful counterbalance to the smokiness of the eggplant.<\/p>\n

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Baba Ghanoush<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

22 February 2026<\/strong>: Two months having elapsed since my inaugural visit, I returned to Anatolia to find a surprisingly different menu.\u00a0 Unlike at most Middle Eastern restaurants, the menu deviates from the traditional foods of the region.\u00a0 The first page of the menu<\/strong><\/a> lists pizza and pita.\u00a0 The pizza menu rivals that of any local pizzeria with several of the usual suspects: Hawaiian pizza, Supreme, Vegetarian, Four Cheese and Barbecue.\u00a0 Also on the pizza menu are two pies with a decidely Middle Eastern bent: an Anatolian pizza and a Doner Chicken Pesto pizza.\u00a0 There are also two Turkish Pizza Specialties.<\/p>\n

One of those two Turkish Pizza Specialties is Lahmacun<\/strong><\/em> (minced ground beef paste mixed with onions, parsley and tomatoes).\u00a0 After taking a lascivious gander at the lahmacun, you’ll quickly discern that this pizza is constructed on a very thin crust.\u00a0 It’s somewhat similar in thinness to a Neapolitan pizza, but it doesn’t have its pronounced char.\u00a0 Served as six sliced triangular slices, it’s neither crispy nor is it floppy.\u00a0 Instead, it’s got a texture somewhat in between.\u00a0 From the perspective of flavor, it tastes just as you might imagine a Turkish pizza might taste.\u00a0 You shouldn’t miss the tomato sauce much.\u00a0 The ground beef taste adheres well to the pie.\u00a0 The cornicione (an Italian term for the \u201clip\u201d or puffy outer edge of the pizza) is just a bit thicker than the pie itself.\u00a0 There won’t be any wastage.\u00a0 You’ll devour that cornicione, too.<\/p>\n

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Lahmacun<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

You may notice below that this is the 1,500th review on Gil’s Thrilling…\u00a0 How fitting that this milestone essay would celebrate one of the Duke City’s culinary treasures.\u00a0 Anatolia belongs on a pedastal!<\/p>\n

Anatolia Mediterranean Grill<\/strong>
\n7600 Jefferson Street, N.E., Suite 21
\nAlbuquerque, New Mexico<\/strong>
\n(505) 814-9789
\nWebsite<\/strong><\/a> | Facebook Page<\/strong><\/a>
\nLATEST VISIT<\/strong>: 22 February 2026
\n1st VISIT<\/strong>: 8 December 2025
\n# OF VISITS<\/strong>: 2
\nRATING<\/strong>: Outstanding<\/strong><\/span>\u2013A stand-out; delivers a memorable dining experience through a harmonious blend of exceptional food, attentive service, and consistent quality
\nCOST<\/strong>: $$ – $$$
\nBEST BET<\/strong>: Family Platter, Turkish Delights, B\u00f6rek, Lentil Soup, Baba Ghanoush, Lahmacun
\nREVIEW #1500<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

As a bumpkinly but book-smart twenty-year-old away from home for the first time, I practically ached for adventure, something different… the antithesis of\u00a0 my agrarian upbringing.\u00a0 The Air Force accommodated me, sending me first to the cultural, culinary and cosmpolitan region around Boston, Massachusetts.\u00a0 It was an illuminating experience which I thoroughly loved, but after two years my wandering soul wanted to experience even further away lands.\u00a0 Though very open-minded, the only places not on my “dream sheet” of assignment preferences were Thule, Greenland; Shemya, Alaska; and the country of Turkey.\u00a0 The latter was based on having seen Midnight Express (on a date, no less).\u00a0 Though centered in a Turkish prison, the movie gave me a wholly inaccurate portrait of…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":75216,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_exactmetrics_skip_tracking":false,"_exactmetrics_sitenote_active":false,"_exactmetrics_sitenote_note":"","_exactmetrics_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[440,489,141,561],"tags":[1716,5365,5359,5360,5563,5363,1149,5367,5564,5366,5358,5361,1718,5356,5362,5364,5357],"class_list":["post-71673","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-albuquerque","category-mediterranean","category-new-mexico","category-rating-outstanding","tag-baba-ghanoush","tag-beef-shish","tag-borek","tag-chocolate-banana-pistachio-baklava","tag-family-platter","tag-italian-flour","tag-journal-center","tag-kofte","tag-lahmacun","tag-lamb-shish","tag-lentil-soup","tag-mehmet-and-umut-kokangul","tag-pistachio-baklava","tag-review-1500","tag-sunflower-oil","tag-torinos-home","tag-turkish-delights"],"yoast_head":"\nAnatolia Mediterranean - 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Please take a few minutes to tell me what you think. 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