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Business & Tech

Turkish Made Easy at Wild Fig

Wild Fig Mediterranean Grill, 631 Jericho Tpke., Syosset, 516-558-7744, www.wildfigonline.com

 

Wild Fig Mediterranean Grill, like every other Turkish restaurant on Long Island, chooses not to label itself "Turkish," preferring the "Mediterranean" moniker instead. By the time Wild Fig opened its newest location in Syosset—the others are in Glen Cove and Garden City—the franchise had expertly branded itself.

The Syosset spot is in the former digs that housed Aladdin, another Turkish restaurant. Here the bright yellows and blues give way to quieter dark woods and tile. The concept could extend to another 10 towns with ease. The very reasonably priced menu encompasses the popular Mediterranean Diet cuisine, leaning primarily on salads, bean and vegetable-based spreads, kebabs, un-sauced grilled fish and fresh baked flatbreads. Vegetarians and meat eaters can coexist here, side by side with no problems.

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The Signature Gyro Sandwich ($8.99) is not a familiar Greek gyro. The house baked pide bread solidly holds the sliced lamb/beef blend and the feta and vinaigrette tossed salad that fills the roll. It's larger than the average gyro and the bread makes it a great success.

Sample four appetizers by constructing your own Mezze Platter ($11.99). We went for spicy tomato spread, roasted eggplant dip, good Turkish caviar called Tarama and white bean salad all surrounded by sliced cucumbers and tomatoes. Grab some of the hot pide flatbread and dip it.

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Seafood choices are all reasonably priced. Pomegranate Glazed Salmon ($14.99) is sweet and simple. Another exotic-sounding but easy-to-like specialty is the stuffed pide. It's a delicious hybrid between pizza and a calzone with imported Kashar cheese taking the place of mozzarella. What's not to like? Choose shrimp, spinach, lamb, eggplant, sausage, gyro meat or chicken. I alternated between fork and knife and just manhandling my Sausage Pide ($9.49). Another pizza-like dish is the thin-crust meat pie, Lahmajun ($9.99). Open faced and cheeseless, it's made here with minced beef or chicken baked on top of a thin crispy crust. I liked the peppery beef version a lot. At lunch it comes with a salad or soup. I had a nice bowl of red lentil.

There's separate entrance for takeout, where you can grab something quick from the juice bar: freshly squeezed lemonade and juices, various coladas and fruit smoothies. Walnut Baklava ($3.99) is not too sweet and tastes much like the namesake dessert, Wild Figs ($4.99). Both are stuffed with the same sweet syrupy crushed walnuts.   

The dessert menu, like the restaurant, is a winner.

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