You’ve probably heard of Sarma; if you’re local, it’s probably the favorite restaurant of at least a few people you know. The Somerville spot has been on many Eater 38 maps; chef Cassie Piuma has received multiple James Beard award nominations. The menu centers on the flavors of Turkey and the Eastern Mediterranean region.
Sarma is known for consistently excellent vegetable plates, along with its own take on bar snacks, such as lentil nachos, eggplant fries, and chicken wings with pistachio labne, served in a finer-dining setting that’s still accessible.
The sweeping 20-seat bar is almost always packed. It’s an open secret that the best way to get a seat is to show up right at 5 p.m. The dining room of the restaurant, visible from the bar, seats about another 30 (you can reserve a table). The walls are brick or painted turquoise and adorned with colorful plates from Istanbul, and the mood is rousing and chatty.
Sarma makes its frozen yogurt in-house, and if you’re nostalgic for soft serve fro-yo, this is the place to scratch that itch when it’s on the menu. We got the rich chocolate with miso salted caramel sauce.
Dining and Cooking