Turkish delight at Danforth, Donlands
[attach]1979[/attach]I mentioned the new Reeves Florist and Nursery last month, a pink-clad bower of luscious plants and flowers plopped in the parking lot of a former car rental joint beside the Madina Masjid mosque.
Though the location is temporary, the coming of Reeves could be a sign of further diversification that’s happening around the Danforth and Donlands intersection.
When peeps speak of that ’hood they invariably discuss the shops and institutions catering to the Muslim population in the area— which is true for the blocks east of Reeves, but not necessarily for the west side of Donlands.
And if a string of storefronts on the north side of the Dani there are any indication, that block could very well be morphing into its own wee Turkish village.
Uzel’s oil
Take Uzel Olive and Olive Oil shop. Owner Mehmet Uzel is the demi-God of organically grown olives and olive products, which he imports from his native Turkey, or more specifically, from his family’s century-old establishment. Olive trees have been bearing olives there for 1,000 years.
As Uzel and I munch on hand-picked black Gemlik olives from his hometown of Gemlik (which are never dyed, he tells me — they can be bought in store for around $18 a kilogram), I get the goods on the olive oil his family makes. It’s fermented using only water and salt, with no preservatives, and the process takes eight months.
Good olive oil should have a yellow-green colour and smell and taste like actual olives, he tells me. Trouble is, as I see it, that most olive oil bottles are dark. Not so for Uzel’s: a variety of pretty-shaped clear bottles showcase the bright hue of the oil inside.
Bottles start at $10.99 for a funky donut-shaped vessel and range to $74.99 for a five-litre tin. There’s some neat-o Turkish foodie fare too, like rose jam, pine tree honey and candied chestnuts.
Associate Sevgi Mishrif, who recently moved from Turkey, feeds me samples of various goodies. The shop’s mantra is tasting is believing; now I’m a believer.
974 Danforth Ave. 647-477-3170 [url=http://www.uzelolive.com]www.uzelolive.com[/url]
Reoccurring resto
Next door I drop into a Turkish restaurant called Zeitoun Restaurant. Inside I meet the son of the man who originally opened a Turkish resto in the space almost a decade ago.
I learn the establishment has changed names and hands several times, and was bought by a new owner just a few weeks ago.
I’ve just gorged myself on olives so I don’t order the daily special, which is chick peas and beef in sauce the day I visit. But I do try the dollop that’s kindly offered up to me: yum. You can have it on its own for $5 or with rice and salad for $7.50.
The girls behind the counter also give me a piece of baklava, which is made fresh and $1.25 a square. I like it as it’s less sweet than what I normally have in Greektown. I’m told the Turkish way is to make a syrup out of sugar and lemon pieces instead of using honey.
I’ll be back to try one of their most popular dishes, the beef pide, a baked boat-like bread with beef and veggies on top.
980 Danforth Ave., 416-465-1989 [url=http://www.zeitounturkishcuisine.com]www.zeitounturkishcuisine.com[/url]
Getting-there grocery
Next door at 982 Danforth Ave. in a former medical centre, a vacant storefront that’s under renovations has a sign posted in the window announcing a Turkish Foods Burak Supermarket is coming soon. I can’t get anything solid on when it’s opening so stay tuned.
Long-time barber
Across the street I descend on Mehmet, who seems to have started the Turkish trend when he opened his Mavlana Hair Stylist & Barber 16 years ago. He’s just getting ready to break for lunch, but we chat for a couple minutes.
Mehemt tells me he doesn’t think the area will develop into a Little Turkey — but who knows? There’s a saying that it only takes three to make a trend, and with a trio of Turkish shops directly across the street, I’d say there’s a tad of a fad happening here.
935 Danforth Ave. 416-406-5119