When Mehmet Sipahioglu, owner of Mediterranean Breeze first arrived in America from his town of Giresun on the Black Sea in Turkey his goal wasn’t to be a restaurateur, even though he had a background that would suit such an endeavor.
“My uncle had a restaurant when I was growing up, my father had a chicken farm and ran a wholesale produce business,” says Mehmet. “I worked full time with both of them.”
The dream didn’t start until a few years after his arrival in the United States. It began after seeing Turkish/Mediterranean restaurants using frozen ingredients and not taking the care to cook his native foods traditionally and properly.
Mehmet came to America looking for opportunity and prosperity. Now, with his son on one side, a nephew on the other and a kitchen staffed with mostly Turkish born cooks, he has put into motion the dream from a decade ago, traditional Turkish cuisine in a fine dining establishment in West Olympia.
One of the first things you’ll notice if you take a peek into the kitchen is a wood fired stove. It’s an essential component.
“Authentic Turkish food cooks on a wood fire,” says Mehmet. “We use different kinds of wood like apple, maple and oak to get that authentic Turkish flavor.” He informed me that this was especially important with meat. Mehmet takes this part of his establishment very seriously because he rarely, if ever, sees wood fires being used.
But the menu options are not limited to a carnivores’ diet. Mehmet, who takes great pride in a menu he compiled himself, took strides to make sure that there were vegetarian and vegan options included.
Mehmet sources the restaurant’s meat from Oregon and Washington, butchering and marinating in their own kitchen with recipes determined in house.
The most popular menu choices have been the kebabs at Mediterranean Breeze. You can order them with chicken, beef and lamb. The Turkish meatballs are also quite popular. Signature dishes included Angus beef, lamb, and chicken sautes.
In the mood for seafood? Mehmet sources organic king salmon, pacific sea bass and mackerel. “The mackerel works especially well with the wood fire,” Mehmet told me.
And how does it feel to be the owner of a new business in Olympia, Washington? Well, Mehmet is quite pleased. “We have a lot of support from the community,” he told me in a very sincere tone. “Most of our business, around 90 percent, has been word of mouth. Families of four will come in, order traditional Turkish food and pizza, and then share. The next time they come in they usually order more Turkish food than pizza.”
Mediterranean Breeze has a brick oven for freshly made bread (that is served to diners at the beginning of their meal) and pizza options. Having pizza on the menu was no accident either. Mehmet wanted a solid choice for customers who might be shy about ordering Turkish food. It seems to be a decision that is playing out nicely.
In the end though, it’s all about family. “My biggest helpers on this project from day one have been my son and nephew and they continue to be today,” says Mehmet. “They manage, help servers, whatever I need they are there.”
Mediterranean Breeze
2302 Harrison Ave NW
Olympia, WA 98502
360-915-7343
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