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Dupont Circle's Levante's closed in January, but its replacement won't be straying too far, geographicallyspeaking: Ankara, a new Turkish project from a family of first-time restaurateurs, is set to open in early May on 19th Street NW.

The venture represents the work of upwards of 20 relatives, according to Erin Gorman, who co-owns the restaurant with her husband,Utku Aslanturk, and his brother, Ovgu.

The brothers dabbled in restaurant work upon arriving in the areafrom Turkey in the 1990s, but spent most of the last two decades working in the family's construction business. Still, opening a dining spot was always a thought in the back of their minds, Gorman said.

"They're Turkish, and they really like to eat," she said. "And they really like to eat Turkish food."

Most of the family currently hails from the Turkish capital of Ankara, which inspired the restaurant's name.

[Attractions galore in Ankara, Turkeys capital]

Gorman said they all perceived a renewed interest in Turkish culture from Americans, and when the Levante's space became available, they decided the time was right to open their own place.

Indescribing Turkish cuisine, Gorman cited a definition offered by cookbook author and professor Ayla Algar. "She said to think about Turkish food is to think about archaeology and strata, because Turkish cuisine and culture is so old," Gorman said.

The food is something of a blend, with Persian, Mediterranean, Far East and Anatolian influences, Gorman said.

The menu will include the inevitable kebabs but will also feature hot and cold mezze, as well as entrees. Among the offerings: sigara boregi (feta cheese and herbs in phyllo), midye tavasi (fried mussels in a walnut tarator sauce) and the famous imam biyaldi (stuffed eggplant and olive oil). And at the insistence of Gorman's 4-year-old daughter, there will beyaprak sarma, grape leaves stuffed with beef and rice, served with a garlic yogurt sauce.

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Turkish restaurant Ankara coming to Dupont Circle

The water of Lake Como glistens in front of the Lakeside Pavilion at Como Regional Park, Zoo and Conservatory. (Pioneer Press 2007 file)

Como Dockside Lakeside Pavilion, the restaurant that will replace Black Bear Crossings at Como Park in St. Paul, will open the first week in May -- just in time for patio season -- with a sizable menu and upgraded patio, co-owner Jon Oulman said this week.

Oulman, with his son Jarret Oulman and business partner Josh Mandelman, plan to serve breakfast, lunch and dinner at the restaurant overlooking Como Lake. The trio also runs Amsterdam Bar and Hall in St. Paul.

According to Jon Oulman, the menu will be New Orleans-inspired and include barbecued meats, etouffee and side dishes like mac and cheese served picnic style in baskets. There will also be vegetarian-friendly options as well and kid-friendly meals such as hamburgers. Craft cocktails, wine and beer also will be on the menu.

Customers can expect the patio seating areas -- with a combination of picnic and bistro tables -- to move around throughout the summer. Construction will happen in phases. Changes will include the addition of two to three bocce ball courts, new paving and landscaping.

"There will be outdoor construction this spring and summer," Oulman said. "There will be a lot of seating. It's just going to move around."

Rolling out the food offerings also will happen in phases. A barbecue menu will kick off the restaurant's unveiling next month, and Oulman said the plan is to open a walk-up window with a menu still to be determined around Memorial Day.

Oulman said there also are plans for a separate organization to partner with the trio to offer watercraft rentals such as pedal boats and a guided 30-foot electric powered cruise boat. Como Dockside would supply food for those boaters.

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Como Park restaurant opens in May with New Orleans-style food

MISHAWAKA Potbelly Sandwich Shop and Qdoba Mexican Grill want to expand the northside Mishawaka restaurant choices for area diners.

A preliminary site plan submitted to the city indicates the restaurants would be constructed on about an acre of undeveloped land along North Main Street, between Douglas Road and Edison Lakes Parkway.

The vacant site is located immediately east of Meijer and south of La-Z-Boy Furniture Galleries.

Construction could start as soon as May, which means the restaurants could open in late summer or early fall. But first, the project and several variance requests must be approved by Mishawaka officials.

"People are always excited when a new restaurant comes to town, because it gives them more choices," Greg Shearon, Mishawaka assistant city planner, said about the proposed tenants. "And these two restaurants would be new to our area."

Relaxation Investments of South Bend, the property owner, has requested zoning and developmental variances for a developer that wants to buy the land and build a 9,000-square-foot multi-tenant building. The small new neighborhood center would house two restaurants and two stores.

Only two businesses are allowed on the site under existing commercial zoning standards. Parking variances are also requested for the project.

Shoppers and diners would be able to access the new building from Main Street as well as the existing access drive used by Meijer shoppers.

Potbelly would be located on the south side of the building and the 2,400-square-foot restaurant would offer a drive-through.

Just a few months ago, the Chicago-based restaurant company decided against opening inside the former Hooters restaurant building on nearby Day Road.

Link:
Potbelly and Qdoba planned for new Mishawaka center

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About 50 people attended a public hearing at the Wright County Courthouse March 23 to hear about security updates and historical renovations planned for the second floor courtroom. While most of the citizens who spoke up were in favor of spending almost $227,000 for increased security, several questioned why an additional $323,000 would be spent on an historic restoration.

Im not sure about spending tax money for preservation, Leroy Jenson said.

Andy Yackle, who has spearheaded the project, replied, It should be important to the citizens of Wright County to preserve this building. Yackle is a member of the courthouse maintenance staff. He first suggested the security and historical updates to the board of supervisors in February 2014 and requested that money be set aside in fiscal year 2015 and 2016 to pay for the project.

Yackle kicked off the public hearing by reviewing the history of the courthouse, which will celebrate its 125th anniversary in June 2016. A county-wide vote to approve building the courthouse was held in 1890. The construction cost $48,000 (it was estimated the project would cost $40,000) and it would take $1.25 million to replace the courthouse today. It is the most prestigious building in Wright County, Yackle said.

According to Scott Hand, district court administrator for the second district, there were a total of 2,900 filings in Wright County last year. Its a smaller county, but there is still a lot going on, he said. This is a busy place.

Judge Paul Ahlers said, Security is very important - both for the personnel who work here and the structure of the building. He added, We invite the worst people in society to come here - criminals, drug addicts, sociopaths and psychopaths. We dont only invite them here, we require that they come here.

Sheriff Jason Schluttenhofer said the Wright County Courthouse has been the scene of two high-profile criminal trials in the past two years. He also pointed out that the most heated confrontations often occur during divorce or family court proceedings.

The security aspects of the proposed project include key fobs for the main corridor, video surveillance that would be upgraded to a higher resolution, weapons screening, bullet resistant materials, and improvements in the fire alarm system. There is currently no fire alarm light or horn in the courtroom.

The security upgrades would cost nearly $227,000, and would have to be paid for entirely by the county. The proposed historic restoration could be funded by grants, donations and fundraising. Yackle said that up to $225,000 in grant money could be available for the restoration.

John Bloom, an architect with SlingShot Architecture, explained that the courthouse was built in the Victorian Romanesque style which was popular in the late 19th century.

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Courtroom remodeling could cost $550,000

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