Finally... Turks & Frogs

Joey, have you ever been in a Turkish prison? Young Turks. Turkish Delight. Talikin' Turkey? . . .
The wordplay is endless, and I have only tackled the first word. So, I shall gather my composure and restrain myself from further punning.
Time to focus!
Earlier in the week, I finally paid a visit to Turks & Frogs. The visit has been delayed so long that the much bally-hooed destination is actually two destinations, the West Village original 325 W. 11th btw. Hudson and Joe Dimaggio Freeway) and a Tribeca satellite (458Greenwich btw. Watts and Desbrosses.)
By now, the story is well known. Owner, Osman Cakir, dreamed of owning a drinkery his entire life, but found himself in the antiques business. His little brother was a weathered pro having served time in da 'biz. One day, the two set about converting Cakir's antiques shop into a wine bar and the rest is history. Voila, instant hotspot!
However, before investigating the West Village original, Gotham Gastronomy first visited the recently unveilled way-downtown. Said small strip of Greenwich is no West Broadway, and Drew Nierpont is no where to be seen, but Gentrification is certainly in full force. Of the four storefronts on the block, one is T&F, the other, a quaint cafe, and construction permits heralded changes in store (pun intended) at a third. The big G was also inescapably manifest in the converted loft residences towering above. All the same, we enjoyed the block; save the disappearance of the cobblestone, some character remained and there was no suffocating Scene.
As for the restaurant... The key word here is restaurant! While the original is a wine bar, the Tribeca venue is a restaurant that happens to hold a bar seating about nine. The remainder of the interior is decorated with the typical arches and lanterns of Turkey or North Africa. The motif flirts with cheese, but the minimallism manages to spare such a fate. This location offered a full bar and the drinks were well made, and the service very friendly and attentive.
The wine list is similliar at both locations; so, I might as well tackle it now. The selection was fairly impressive, but not to my liking. Yet, if you are a fan of the Big Red, here is a place for you. There are all sorts of Zins and Cabs from the New World, the Southern Rhone is well represented, and there are ven some Turkish types thrown in in hommage to the owners' subcontinental roots.

While I did not eat a proper meal, we did sample some of the bar food. If one is to believe that a restaurant can be judged by the bread offered, then Turks & Frogs is looking good! The other selections offered were the expected mix of lebni and hummus (aka"dips") as well as concotions of coriander, lemon, eggplant, and olive available at the bar. All were of top quality, but one must remember that top quality hummus is a different bird than top quality foie-gras and adjust their expectations accordingly.

After a couple glasses of wine, not to mention a martini, we made our way uptown to the West Eleventh location. This location featured a bar, some seating, and a back room behind french doors housing lounge-like seating for about dozen or so more patrons. The menu was limited here, the bar offered only beer and wine (virtually the same list.) However, the appeal lies largely in the atmosphere. The customers are the mellow West Village chic, the staff extremely attentive, and the vibe homey in spite of the chic. It was raining during our visit, and the space was perfect to pass away such an evening over wine.