DC’s newest Turkish restaurant, Ottoman Taverna, received a big endorsement on Saturday when Michelle Obama dined with eleven guests. The airy Mt. Vernon Triangle eatery from restaurateur Hakan Ilhan debuted earlier this month.
A spokesperson from the restaurant says the large group enjoyed a lengthy stay from 7 to 11 pm. Chef Ilhan Erkek, an Istanbul native, is known for traditional dishes such as charcoal-roasted kebabs, pide (flatbreads), and sumac-spiced fish, as well as modern Mediterranean items. The First Lady has become a trendsetter when it comes to checking out the city’s newest restaurants, dropping into hotspots like Masseria, Maketto, and Chez Billy Sud.
Anna Spiegel covers the dining and drinking scene in her native DC. Prior to joining Washingtonian in 2010, she attended the French Culinary Institute and Columbia University’s MFA program in New York, and held various cooking and writing positions in NYC and in St. John, US Virgin Islands.
