Northern Liberties Business Improvement District announced the grand opening of Pera Turkish Cuisine, at 944 N. 2nd Street, in the very heart of the Northern Liberties Restaurant Row. Pera will bring Turkish cuisine to the growing mix of acclaimed international cuisine in the fast growing food neighborhood. Former roommates, friends, school mates and now business partners Eric Tunc and Chef Mehmet Ergin are both from Turkey and are living the American dream by moving to America and opening their first restaurant together.
Pera is 1,000 square feet of dining space with a partially open kitchen, with a dining room that seats 36 people. Decor includes authentic Turkish decor and handmade plates from Turkey, exposed brick, unique lighting, ornate tiles and black walnut tables.
The menu is a mix of traditional taste with modern presentation. Pera is BYO and the owners are happy to make wine and spirit recommendations. Pera’s grand opening leads off six weeks and six grand openings for Northern Liberties, which will soon announce details for openings that will include The Shake Seafood, Ray’s Reusables, 70six Boutique, Wag Watch and 1040 Creative Art Center and Gallery. Pera follows other recent openings that have included Figo Ristorante, Figo Pizzeria, Set NoLibs, Anejo Philadelphia, SUYA SUYA West African Grill, Parmigiana and others. Six more businesses will also soon be announced and or grand opening in late spring and into summer. The fast growth in retail and restaurants is just in time for the population growth of the neighborhood, which will literally double in size within two years.
“Northern Liberties Business Improvement District welcomes and congratulates co-owners Chef Mehmet Ergin and Eric Tunc on the opening of Pera,” said NLBID Executive Director Kris Kennedy in a statement. The corner of 2nd and Laurel deserves an amazing restaurant. It’s not easy filling Dimitris’ shoes, but Pera is the perfect fit. We couldn’t be more delighted to add Turkish to the list of cuisines from around the world that you can find here in Northern Liberties. Their food is accessible and easy to share, so it’s the perfect spot for gathering with family and friends of all ages. We know Pera will become a cornerstone business here.”
Kennedy also added, “After seeing major openings with Figo, Anejo and SET NoLibs, the streak continues with Pera, as well as six other new restaurants coming in the district and neighborhood. Stay tuned and come hungry! We are thrilled to see the rising number of new businesses, new restaurants and new retail shops to match the population growth currently underway.”
Pera Turkish Cuisine will celebrate its grand opening weekend in conjunction with the return of Northern Liberties Restaurant Week. Pera will offer complimentary baklava samples to each guest on Friday, April 1st and Saturday, April 2nd. They will offer a special three course, $25 price point for lunch and dinner for Northern Liberties Restaurant Week from April 1st to April 10th.
When deciding where to open, the owners explained they live close by in Port Richmond and they really like all that Northern Liberties has to offer – including a thriving and fast growing diverse food scene. Tunc said, “We had been looking for a restaurant space for two years and one day we drove by and saw the former Dimitris space. We really liked that corner, the corridor and restaurant row, and the space inside. We just knew it was for us and we had to jump on the opportunity to call Northern Liberties home for our new restaurant.”
For cuisine, the Chef presents both lunch and dinner menus, with a mix of soup, salad, cold meze, hot meze, sandwiches, wraps, burgers, grilled, seafood selections, signature entrees and larger plates, desserts and non-alcoholic beverages including Turkish tea. One of the must-try dishes includes the Cold Meze Chef’s Selection with six different appetizers to share on one platter, plus Pera’s Turkish flatbread. Other must-try items include doner/gyro, kebabs, spinach tarator, humus, falafel and stuffed grape leaves.
Chef’s favorite dishes includes Hunkar begendi – Meaning Sultan’s delight – a traditional dish from several hundred years ago during the Ottoman Empire of slow cooked lamb shank (6-7 hours), confit with smoked eggplant – dish was made for the King and it was his favorite foods. Tunc’s favorite dishes he recommends to new customers include Kunefe – shredded phyllo dough with mozzarella cheese, grilled and served hot with sugar on top, and buttery fried veal liver served with sliced onion and sumac/sumach (Middle Eastern spices).
For dessert, come for the house-made baklava but stay for the secret gem on the menu, which is a Kazandibi, with caramelized milk pudding with burned bottom layer.
Both owners want to give a shout-out to their new neighbors, which are also celebrating their grand openings. 70six Boutique is grand opening on Saturday, April 9th, next door at 215 West Laurel Street. Ray’s Reusables is across the street at 935 N. 2nd Street. Ray’s will celebrate its grand opening on Earth Day and Weekend, Friday, April 22 and Saturday, April 23. Other grand openings are listed below.
Pera Turkish Cuisine is soft open right now and will grand open April 1-3rd. Hours are Sunday to Thursday, 11:00am to 9:00pm, and Friday and Saturday, 11:00am to 9:30pm.
