Tom and I recently tried a new-to-us restaurant, Café Istanbul in Dublin, Ohio.  We got a call from our friends Sherrilyn Wilson and Pat Prosser.  They live in Flagstaff, Arizona and were coming to Columbus to see an Ohio State football game.  Were we available for dinner on Friday night?  Of course, Tom and I made time for them.  Sherrilyn and I have been friends since we were in youth group and choir together back in high school.  We always love to see her and Pat.

Sherrilyn suggested Café Istanbul.  Sherrilyn has lived in many different countries, but realizes that the rest of us are more risk-averse in dining.  She assured us that even Pat found good things to eat at Café Istanbul, which specializes in Turkish cuisine.  Tom and I are trying to be more adventurous in our eating, so we agreed.  Another advantage, especially on a Friday night, is that they take reservations.

Café Istanbul opened in 2012 at its location beside the Scioto River in Dublin, Ohio.  It is a little south of the newly developed Bridge Park area.  It was the third Café Istanbul opened in the Columbus area by Fatih Gunal.  All of the menus are the same, although the décor in each restaurant is unique.  Fatih’s brother, Serdal Gunal, is the manager and chef at the Dublin restaurant.

The restaurant has a beautiful location along the Scioto River.  There is a large patio area and a smaller inside seating area.  The patio area has a sliding ceiling which makes it feel, along with the lush foliage, more like inside seating when it is closed.

The restaurant was, as expected, very busy on a Friday night.  We were seated as soon as we arrived at our reservation time.  We chose to sit on the patio, although it didn’t really feel like we were outside.  All the tables were full but there were actually enough servers to take care of everyone.  It was a very hot day, so the ceiling shutters covered us until the sun started to go down.  At that point someone raised them which was the first time we noticed they were moveable.  Unfortunately, that meant the sun was directly in our eyes, so the shutters soon came down again.

There were plenty of choices on the menu and all the entrees were well-described.  Even though we are unfamiliar with Turkish cuisine, we could find something that sounded delicious.  Tom and Pat both got kebabs.  Sherrilyn ordered moussaka and I got shepherd’s pie.  All of the food was very good.  I was expecting a stew-type dish with potatoes on top.  Instead, I got meat with onions and peppers and rice.  Everything was very good.  The homemade bread was an excellent appetizer.  We decided to split one dessert between the four of us and ordered baklava.  It also was very good, but we were glad we were sharing it.  A small piece was plenty for me.

As we enjoyed our savory dishes, two men played music in the corner.  Although we could hear them, they weren’t too loud or intrusive.  Just nice background music.

After our delicious dinner, we headed north just a little to the Bridge Park area and walked across the bridge.  There were hundreds of people out enjoying the park and the beautiful weather.  We enjoyed the walk and spending the time with these wonderful friends.  Good food and good friends.  Life is good with both.