Sherefe: A Mediterranean Grill Anyone who has visited or lived in Turkey knows that the delectable cuisine is one of the best things about the country. Whether it’s seafood from the Mediterranean Sea, fruits and vegetables from the interior of the huge country, or the lamb dishes they special-ize in, Turks like it served fresh. And fresh is how you get it at the restaurant now known as Sherefe: A Mediterranean Grill, on Ramsey Street just north of the 401-Bypass. And while the food is extraordinarily tasty – and fresh! – it is the hospitality at the restaurant that can make any visit there pleasantly memorable. Mustafa Somar, the gregarious Turkish-born owner, embodies the essence of hospitality, greeting newcomers and long-time patrons with a warm smile, and a genuine joy at being there to serve up an extraordinary dining experience. “Hospitality is an art,” he says, and he should know. Before opening the restaurant, Somar spent many years in the hotel business. That’s what brought him and his family to Fayetteville, and he’s become one of this community’s most ardent advocates. Somar seeks out the best source for the best and freshest produce, meats and sea-food to use in his restaurant. That may mean traveling to Raleigh to the farmer’s market, and it may mean being very specific when dealing with his seafood wholesaler in Char-lotte. (Ask him about ivory salmon should you visit the restaurant!) One gets the impres-sion that, as charming and gracious as he is, he is not going to compromise on quality when dealing with his suppliers. The restaurant has undergone a gradual makeover in the 3 ½ years it’s been in exis-tence. It’s small, but no longer does one discern the aura of a Barbecue Hut that it once was; pale blue awnings have been added and there’s a canopied area for dining al fresco. Scenes and artifacts from Turkey adorn the walls, and the menu does not include hushpuppies. Spe-cialty dishes of Turkish, Greek and Italian origin make the restaurant truly a “Mediterranean Grill.”Somar has thoughts of an even larger restaurant, one with a full bar and more amenities than can fit into the current location. He’s built a loyal clientele in the years the Mediterranean Grill has been open, from around the Cape Fear region, and he’d like to introduce even more people to the palate-pleasing dishes of his homeland and the Mediterranean area.In the meantime, should you choose to expand your culinary horizons, plan an outing to Sherefe: A Mediterranean Grill. It’s not a fancy-schmancy place, you need not don a tux to dine there, nor make a reservation – but you’ll enjoy some of the best food this side of Istanbul!
