Small Bite: Anatolian Table

Anatolian Table&emdash;One of Rocklin's most exciting new restaurants, Anatolian Table is serving up some excellent Turkish cuisine. The large menu has a lengthy section devoted to cold and hot appetizers, as well as a yummy lineup of kebabs (including a delectable adana kebab, prepared with spicy ground lamb) and oven foods, such as karisik pide, a traditional Turkish dish similar to a pizza, piled high with vegetables, cheese and meat. I was captivated with the crackly sigara boregi, scrolls of pan-fried phyllo dough stuffed with feta cheese, and the excellent mercimek, a rib-sticking red lentil soup. Entres arrive with an attractive arrangement of house-pickled red cabbage, purple slivers of onion and lightly dressed greens, and the accompanying pile of rice is feather-light&emdash;the perfect partner for the chewy, smoky grilled meats.

The owners, Ertugrul and Tugce Hazar, make their own yogurt&emdash;thick, tangy and delicious&emdash;along with their own breads and pastries. Turkish tea is presented with a flourish on a pretty silver tray, which feels like a fancy indulgence in an otherwise unadorned, modestly decorated space. Desserts include a doughy, sweet baklava and the intriguing-sounding künefe: shredded and baked phyllo dough, filled with unsalted cheese and drizzled with sweet syrup.

Blue Oaks Marketplace, 6815 Lonetree Blvd., Suite 105, Rocklin; (916) 772-3020