When you walk into one of Beacon’s newest restaurants, you’ll notice two things on the walls. First, framed articles detailing Nilufer Goodson’s position as the first Turkish-born female executive chef in her native country. (In 2006, she led a haute-cuisine restaurant, Divan Brasserie Bebek, in Istanbul.) Second, colorful Mandala drip paintings and intricately woven dream catchers—all of which are made by Goodson herself.
The ambience sums up Goodson’s ethos and defines her journey to restaurateur. After graduating from the Institute of Culinary Education (ICE), she worked across the globe as a private chef in the kitchens of hotels and cruise ships, and most recently, at Beacon Natural Market, where she was in charge of the prepared food offerings. But—in order to pursue a career in the restaurant industry, she had to give up her dream of becoming a professional artist. (She almost attended Brooklyn’s Pratt Institute on scholarship before enrolling at ICE in pursuit of a more lucrative career.)
“What I realized is that I needed to combine everything in one place. My artwork, my crafts, my cooking, my baking,” explains Goodson. “Beacon needed that kind of place. Everyone has access to tacos, burgers, pizza, and pasta. This is different.”
Nilufer’s Home Kitchen is a breakfast and lunch spot that encourages guests to linger. You can sit down for a meal, stop in for a Turkish coffee or tea, grab some sweet or savory borek pastries to go (the cheese and potato versions are great), or purchase one of Goodson’s artistic wall hangings to decorate your home.
One of the eatery’s biggest draws is the 20-item Turkish breakfast. It features four kinds of cheese, black and green olives, honey clotted cream, seasonal fruits, eggs any style, a Turkish spice-cured beef sausage called sucuk, and more. It comes with a bread basket and includes unlimited tea. “Turkey has the richest breakfast in the world,” explains Goodson, “It’s not just two items. When you sit down—especially on Sundays in Turkey—all of the families gather, we make a huge table, and we stay for hours.” The breakfast at Nilufer’s can be ordered for one or two people.
In every dish, you’ll be able to taste the foundational ingredients of Turkish cuisine. Garlic takes center stage in çilbir, poached eggs on sautéed spinach served over a rich garlicky yogurt and drizzled with warm butter or olive oil. The pan-fried halloumi sandwich is perfect for olive lovers—the fresh bread is spread with tapenade. Lemon, mint, basil, and dill are the stars of the refreshing herbed artichoke salad. And Goodson’s hummus—which is famous in town from her days at Beacon Natural Market—is creamy and light, with tahini, paprika, lemon, and garlic.
The pita meeta sandwich combines just about every herb and spice mentioned above, so it’s no surprise it’s one of the most popular dishes: Braised lamb is layered in a warm pita with tomatoes, green peppers, and thyme, and served with pickle and red cabbage salad. (Not into lamb? Go for the pita chica sandwich, which subs in chicken.)
If you still have room (and you’ll want to), order a slice of freshly made baklava and a warm drink for dessert. The restaurant’s catchphrase isn’t “any time, tea time,” for nothing. There’s linden or sage tea, strong Turkish coffee—which is made with the world’s oldest brewing method and served in a traditional cezve pot—or sahlep, a healing tea made from the underground tubers of Anatolian orchids. (Goodson’s tea menu reports: An average of 2,600 orchids are harvested to obtain about 2.2 pounds of the tea powder.) On a hot day, the refreshing ayran (a salty, tart yogurt-based drink) or rose lemonade are sure to cool you down. As is tradition, all drinks come with a jelly candy made with rosewater known as a Turkish delight—which can also be used to describe this homey eatery.
Nilufer’s Home Kitchen
135 Main Street, Beacon
845.765.0077
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