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Anatolian Table Turkish Restaurant, located in Rocklin, is one of just a handfull of authentic Turkish restaurants in Northern California. As the name implies, the cuisine is from the Anatolian region of Turkey, which fuses offerings native to Central Asia, the Middle East, the Mediterranean and the Balkans to form Turkish cuisine. As with all restaurant reviews I publish, I have no affiliation with the restaurant reviewed, and there is no monetary gain on my part, as I am simply a person who likes to eat, and I love to write-up, and publish my dining experiences.
Photo: Anatolian Table Turkish Restaurant has been at their current location since July, 2015, and been at the old, and smaller location, since the restaurant was founded, back in 2007. Today is early Wednesday afternoon, February 14, 2018, and it's a fine afternoon to enjoy an amazing Turkish lunch, but not warm enough to enjoy the spacious patio
Photo: As you enter the restaurant, you're greeted by a friendly greeter, who was seating other guests as this photo was taken. There is a dining room to the left, a full-service bar to the right, and a larger dining room in the rear of the restaurant, past the semi-open kitchen. The restaurant is spotlessly clean, and decorated in a faux Middle Eastern decor.
Photo: As we were led to the rear dining room to be seated, we walked past the semi-open kitchen and were able to peek of the kitchen staff at work. The kitchen staff wear uniforms, and like the rest of the restaurant, it's squeaky clean.
Photo: We requested a booth in the main dining room by a window, which would allow light for better photos. When we arrived, just before noon, the restaurant was lightly seated, but before our meal arrived, the dining room became quite full. After all, today is Valentine's Day, which is definitely a dining day.
Photo: Anatolian Table is open for lunch and dinner, and the menu offers many pages of dining options. This is only one page of the lunch menu, but it gives an excellent representation of the menu. The dinner and lunch menus are essentially the same, except the dinner menu offers a few more options and much larger portions.
Photo: Anatolian Table is not a "fast food" restaurant, and our lunch arrived about 20 minutes after placing our order. My friend, Dan Weir grins, as our friendly server, Moojab, allows me to snap his photo after delivering our delicious lunch.
Photo: Our friendly host, Moojab, takes our photo, on my request. Today's lunch was a new experience for both Dan and I, as neither of us had every enjoyed Turkish cuisine before. We were about to get a very pleasant surprise...
Photo: My friend Dan was really hungry, so he ordered "Halep Kebap," which is lamb, complete with bones, served over rice, and includes salad, mixed vegetables, and a small cup of yogurt sauce for dipping. After admiring his braised lamb ribs, I wish I'd ordered the same dish, but since I ordered the "Doner Kebap," we did get different photos of our delicious lunch entrees. Dan raved about his lunch, as he said it tasted as good as it looks in the photo. The owners of Anatolian Table are Turkish ex-patriots, and have been trained in culinary arts in their native Turkey, and have worked in the restaurant business for many years. They pride themselves on authentic Turkish cuisine, and they even obtain spices and seasoning from Turkey. That's authentic!
Photo: My taste is very simple, and since Anatolian Table was the first Turkish restaurant I'd ever enjoyed, I ordered the first item on the lunch menu, "Doner Kebap." It seemed like a great place to begin, since it was listed first on the menu, but it also featured beef and lamb, roasted on a vertical grill, similar to a "trompo," which is a staple of Mexican street tacos, that I've enjoyed during my many trips to Mexico. Actually, the Mexicans got the idea of a vertical rotisserie from immigrants from the Middle East, and adopted the idea to make tacos al pastor. My amazing lunch began with thinly sliced lamb and beef, roasted on a vertical grill, placed on top of a bed of white rice. Turkish cuisine has a different slant on rice, as corn and peas are mixed in the rice. Salad included a mostly "conventional" green salad, supplemented by a helping of shredded, flamingo-pink pickled cabbage, and a helping of pickled red onions on the side. A small bowl of yogurt sauce was supplied for dipping. So... what do I think of my first taste of Turkish cuisine, and my first visit to Anatolian Table Turkish Restaurant? I love it! Actually, my lunch was very similar to other Mediterranean cuisine that I've enjoyed - I absolutely LOVE Mediterranean cuisine - so I wasn't exactly surprised. My lunch was absolutely delicious, and all you have to do is to look at the posted photo, which will give you an idea about this wonderful meal.
Photo: When we finished our meal, our server brought the check in a small, carved box, which we thought was pretty interesting. When you're in Western Placer County, and you're in the mood for delicious, out-of-the-ordinary Turkish cuisine, a trip to Anatolian Table Turkish Restaurant should be on your ajenda. Keep in mind there are only a handful of authentic Turkish restaurants in Northern California. Dine at Anatolian Table, and you'll enjoy this fine restaurant as much as we did! Anatolian Table Turkish Restaurant Copyright(c) 2018 eRench Productions. All rights reserved. We've been on the web since December 22, 2002.
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