Turkuaz Restaurant Midtown, New York

Almost 20 years ago, the owners of Turkuaz Restaurant set up shop on the Upper West Side, serving authentic Turkish cuisine. In 2017, they moved locations to be in the heart of Midtown, but hardly anything else changed.

The eatery's chefs still dish out delicious Turkish fare, like hand-crafted hummus and grape leaves stuffed with onions, rice, and a slew of fresh herbs. For entrees, they stuff cabbage with ground lamb and rice and marinate chicken in spices before skewering it over the grill for shish kebabs. And, to round out diners' meals, they prepare flaky baklava in-house.