In the Bay Area

Each year the San Francisco Bay Area hosts a number of cultural, academic, and social events concerning Turkey or some aspect of Turkish life. Frequently such events appear at the World Affairs Council, the Commonwealth Club of California, and at local colleges and universities, including U.C. Berkeley and Stanford.

Bay Area Turkish Restaurants
Three restaurants have been particularly supportive of Friends of Merzifon by hosting dinners and supplying Turkish specialties for our members and for guests visiting from Turkey. They are:

• Bosphorus, 1025 University Ave. (near San Pablo) Berkeley (510) 549-9997, Open daily for lunch 11:30 a.m.-3 p.m. and dinner 5:30-10 p.m.
• Cafe Esin, 2416 San Ramon Valley Blvd Suite 140, San Ramon, (925) 314-0974. Lunch, Tuesday-Friday, 11:30 a.m.-3 p.m. Dinner, Tuesday-Thursday, 5 p.m.-9 p.m., Saturday & Sunday, 5 p.m.-9 p.m.
• Zatis Restaurant, 4029 Piedmont Ave, Oakland (510) 658-8210. Lunch, Monday-Saturday, 11 a.m.-3 p.m. Dinner, Monday-Sunday, 5:30 p.m.-10 p.m.

In addition, the Bay Area has seen some new Turkish restaurants open recently. Five have been reviewed in the San Francisco Chronicle in PDF format.

• A la Turka, 869 Geary St. (near Larkin), San Francisco; (415) 345-1011. Open 11 a.m.-11 p.m. daily.
• Bosphorus, 1025 University Ave. (near San Pablo), Berkeley; (510) 549-9997. Open daily for lunch 11:30 a.m.-3 p.m. and dinner 5:30-10 p.m.
• Cafe de Pera, 349 Clement St. (at Fifth Avenue), San Francisco; (415) 666-3839. Open 8 a.m.-2 a.m. Monday-Thursday, 9 a.m.-2 a.m. Friday, 9 a.m.-2 a.m. Saturday and Sunday.
• Ephesus Kebab Lounge, 1321 Locust St. (near Mt. Diablo Blvd.), Walnut Creek; (925) 945-8082. Open 11 a.m.-10 p.m. Monday-Thursday, until 11 p.m. Friday-Saturday, 4:30-10 p.m. Sunday.
• Gyro King, 25 Grove St. (near Market and Hyde), San Francisco; (415) 621-8313. Open 7:30 a.m.-10 p.m. daily.
• New Kapadokia, 2399 Broadway, Redwood City; (650) 3685500. Open 11 a.m.-9 p.m. Sunday-Thursday, until 10 p.m. Friday-Saturday.