I can hardly hear chef Seckin Sage Anlasbay over the hubbub on his end of the phone call. “I’m sorry, I’m going to the airport,” he explains. “I’m going to Europe right now, and I’ll be there to buy some stuff for the restaurant.”
That place is Bosforo Restaurant & Bar, which will open in January 2025 in the former El Zarape Mexican Cantina space. Chef Seckin, as he’s better known, hails from the Çukurova region of southern Turkey, but has called San Diego home since 2011. He also operates Pizza Bosforo, a mobile catering company that specializes in wood-fired pizza, and Bosforo will be his first brick-and-mortar restaurant.
He says the new space will feature a mix of modern Turkish and Italian cuisine, including the same wood-fired pizza favorites he’s created over the years, plus craft cocktails, live music, and raki, a traditional Turkish spirit. Bosforo will also feature charcoal-fired kebabs, a variety of Turkish mezzes and flatbreads, as well as other fusion dishes. It will be modeled after a modern Turkish meyhane, or local bar where meals are both communal and lively, and Seckin says to expect twists on traditional cocktails, like a raki-infused negroni and pomegranate and sumac martini.
The space is currently under renovation, but the sign out front explains, “‘Bosforo’ is the Italian and Spanish version of the Bosphorus Strait in Istanbul. Bosforo aims to bring the flavors of Turkish cuisine and wood-fired pizza, offering a unique culinary journey that reflects the rich heritage of the Mediterranean.” Sekin adds that just as the Bosphorus bridges Europe and Asia, he likewise aims to bridge multiple cultures through his fusion cuisine that’s meant to be shared.
Seckin has been in Istanbul for a few weeks and says he’s still working on logos, branding, and other design details. He hopes to have more information in the coming days. But if his Instagram reels are any indication, deliciousness is on its way. “ Each dish reflects my roots,” he says. “I can’t wait for you to experience it.”
San Diego Restaurant News & Food Events
San Diego Beer Week Returns This November
San Diego Beer Week (SDBW) by the San Diego Brewers Guild is back again, starting November 1 and running through November 10. Every day, craft beer will be celebrated across the Capital of Craft, with breweries, bars, and restaurants running specials and hosting events, but the main event will be on November 9. The Capital of Craft Beerfest starts at 1 p.m. at Kilowatt Brewing in Kearny Mesa, with VIP access beginning at noon. Follow #SDBW on Instagram for more details, and get tickets to the Beerfest right here.
Beth’s Bites
- Happy 8th birthday, Pop Pie Company! On Tuesday, October 8, Pop Pie is throwing a one-day-only special collaboration event with Brad Wise (Trust Restaurant Group), Phillip Esteban (White Rice, Wildflour), and Charlie Knowles (Bica) with special pies for a limited time. I always think pie is better than cake, so this is my kind of birthday.
- Name change alert! Earlier this month, we broke the news that Somewhere Pizza is opening next to Scrimshaw Coffee. It will now be called Love Letters Pizza as an ode to the neighborhood and community.
- The never-ending flow of trash and sewage from the Tijuana River is… very gross, to say the least. To stem the runoff into the Tijuana Estuary, Pure Project is launching a crowdfunding campaign to install a trash boom (basically a trash catcher) to stop an additional 6,800 lbs. of waste every month. For more information or to donate, visit their website here.
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