Small Bite: Anatolian Table

Anatolian Table—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. Entrées 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—the perfect partner for the chewy, smoky grilled meats.

The owners, Ertugrul and Tugce Hazar, make their own yogurt—thick, tangy and delicious—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