Forgive Beaconites for figuring that Nilufer’s Home Kitchen would be a tea house. For months, a sign in the smoked-out window, now hanging perpendicular to the facade, depicted a kettle underscored with the slogan Any Time Tea Time. But the telltale clue to the storefront’s future came when the proprietors displayed the Turkish flag next to the Stars and Stripes.
Nilufer’s, which opened in early February, is named for its globe-trotting chef and owner Nilufer Goodson, a native of Istanbul, who settled in Beacon after marrying world traveler and civic-minded local poet Addison Goodson.
She trained at the Institute of Culinary Education and in her decades-long career has worked as a personal chef as well as in hotels, upscale restaurants, on cruise ships in Turkey and the US. In 2006, Goodson became fairly famous in her home country land for being the first woman to helm a haute-cuisine kitchen when she designed and launched the Divan Brasserie Bebek in the Divan Istanbul Hotel, which features Turkish and international fare. More than a dozen framed articles, one of them in English, attest to her impact.
After returning stateside, Nilufer worked as a private chef on Park Avenue and took over the prepared foods section of Beacon Natural Market. This month, she finally got the chance to hang her own shingle, return to her roots and introduce Turkish table culture.
Breakfast and lighter fare prevail. Nilufer closes at 5pm but is happy to prepare dinners for private parties in any cuisine after hours. Either that, or she’s getting ready for the next day. No matter, it’s always go-time. She’s one of those people who likes to keep busy. “If I’m watching TV, I’m also knitting or crocheting,” she says. When not staring at the screen, she’s creating intricate Mandala drip paintings, including the sign outside, and displays a small gallery of her work near the door.
Take It Easy
Goodson and pastry chef Asli Cifci run around all day long. The dishwasher’s hum is constant, but no one’s in a rush and there is little thought about turning over tables, even though the place only seats 18.
The burnt orange and turquoise decor illuminated by bright track lights “makes me feel alive,” says Nilufe. The music is often Sufi, the food is Halal, and the drinks will be non-alcoholic for the foreseeable future, perhaps forever.
Pastries are a main focus at Nilufer’s Home Kitchen. Though the white chocolate raspberry cake ($12.50 per slice) and the eclairs (three for $8.50) look familiar, Turkish-style baked goods feature delicate frostings and fillings that scratch the sweet spot but go easy on the sugar. The tahini profiteroles ($12.50) are an original recipe.
The star of the show is the Turkish breakfast, which offers 18 different delicacies, including eggs, nuts, olives, sun-dried apricot, four kinds of cheese, a spring roll with cheese, sucuk (spicy beef sausage), and unlimited tea ($25; $34 for two). The point is to sit, savor, and linger. Maybe read a magazine.
Turkish coffee (akin to espresso), robust black tea, and other imported ingredients that offer an authentic taste of Turkey are procured in-person at Istanbul Market in Paterson, New Jersey.
Steal Away
During childhood, Goodson got into the cooking game touring Turkey’s restaurant, nightclub, and hotel circuit with her father, a well-known singer. She gravitated to the venues’ kitchens and watched the chefs but also spent years in formal training.
The country’s food and beverages can be idiosyncratic. Turkish delight, a small square of nougat served gratis with coffee, is gummy and sticks to the teeth. Sahlep is a healing beverage made from different orchids that draws from ancient medicinal practices ($10.60).
In general, the cuisine revolves around the staples of eggplant, lamb, mussels, turbot, sardines, and other seafood, says Goodson. Other common ingredients are used throughout the Mediterranean region, like feta cheese, tahini, pita bread, curry, cumin, and turmeric. Simit resembles a large, sesame-encrusted bagel ($4.50 plain for take out).
Turkish food also incorporates paprika, hot peppers, and garlic. Cilantro and its seed, coriander, which are crucial to many Turkish dishes, are often associated with Mexican and Indian cuisine, but Goodson clarifies “spices don’t belong to just one or two countries.” The diffusion of ingredients has as much to do with historic trade routes and globalization as local cultural.
Nilufer’s also offers a pressed sandwich that Turks call toast and Italians call panini. Cheese toast ($12.40) and sausage and cheese toast ($15.10) come with peyniri cheese, identified as mozzarella on the menu because the taste and texture is somewhat similar.
On opening day, February 9, local resident Ira Chavis stepped through the door, stopped and marveled at the fresh simit. After returning from a trip to Turkey a few months ago, he bought them online. Now, he’s a regular at Nilufer’s.
For weeks leading up to the opening, the three other Turks in town (not working at the restaurant) and their four children anticipated Nilufer’s debut. “It’s amazing that something like this opened in Beacon,” says Cenk Bagriyanik. “Now, we have a place to hang out.”
Nilufer's Home Kitchen is open 7am-5pm Tuesday through Sunday, closed Mondays.
