‘Good Food Is Good Food’

Turkish natives, friends and restaurateurs Ali Sevindi and Haldun Turgay have brought the flavors of their home country to Richmond with Otto. The Charlottesville-born Mediterranean street food concept recently opened its second location at 414 Hull St. in Manchester, taking over half of the former Hatch Local Food Hall. For the pair, the new restaurant represents more than expansion — it’s a chance to build the restaurant they originally envisioned.

“We have the fast-casual concept in Charlottesville, which we’ve been doing,” co-owner Sevindi says. “So this is more like the Mediterranean kitchen; it’s authentic, and here we have the bar.”

Growing up in Turkey, Sevindi was immersed in the country’s tourism and hospitality industry from a young age, an experience that sparked his interest in sharing culture through food. “Turkey is the fifth most visited country in the world, so we had a lot of tourists from all over Europe, all over the U.K. coming to visit the country,” he says. “In high school, that’s how I was making my summer money.”

That early exposure would shape Sevindi’s career. While working at Château du Rollin, a historic French estate that hosts events and overnight guests, he met future business partner Turgay. Both studied hospitality and international business and moved to Virginia in 2013, settling in Charlottesville, where they worked at The Clifton hotel and Oakhurst Inn.

“Once we graduated, we said, ‘Let’s hit the U.S.,’” Sevindi says. “So we started managing big weddings, a lot of fine dining and just cross-training. We said, ‘We have the energy. Let’s open Otto in Charlottesville.’”

Their initial plan was a full-service restaurant with a bar program, but the COVID-19 pandemic forced them to pivot to the fast-casual model Otto has became known for. In Richmond, they’re able to move closer to that original idea — keeping the approachable counter-service format while adding a full bar, expanded menu and more reasons for guests to linger.

Otto is anchored by a build-your-own section of bowls, wraps and pitas, along with signature options. New additions to the venture, exclusive to Richmond, are the cocktail program and bar bites menu. Hunks of crispy, squeaky halloumi cheese arrives drizzled with hot honey, chives, ember sauce and pops of pomegranate; fries are sprinkled with rosemary and served with tzatziki; a whipped labneh (strained yogurt) dip is studded with walnuts and topped with a swizzle of olive oil and sprig of fresh herbs. Snack-y plates include beef borek rolls, which take the classic Turkish pastry and reintroduce it as cigar-size handhelds served with an Aleppo chile aioli, while a veggie version comes with tzatziki. Kofta is reimagined as sliders and topped with charred onions, pickles and rosemary fries. 

The front counter of Otto is a colorful line of Mediterranean ingredients ranging from an earthy and balanced beet salad to pickled cucumbers, fried eggplant, red lentil mash, zippy sumac onions, housemade dolmas (stuffed grape leaves) and more. Along with a squadron of sauce including cucumber-laced tzatziki, a zesty pomegranate glaze, and their signature sauce of beets and tahini dubbed Beetini. Diners can build their own bowls, wraps and pitas or choose from signature combinations. 

“This is something you want to have for lunch. You want to have dinner — or late at night, it doesn’t matter. It’s always good. It’s always fresh,” Sevindi says, noting that most meals are under $14, with the bar bites (except the sliders) all under $9. He advises guests not to miss dessert, including chocolate custard or their housemade pistachio baklava. 

“The recipe comes from the eastern part of Turkey, and we make it with the pistachios,” Sevindi  says. “My father is a pistachio producer himself, so [the dessert] has a lot of authenticity.”

Sevindi says the dishes reflect Turkey’s history and geography. “When we talk about Turkey, Turkey is a big country, half in Europe, out in Asia. So that means we had thousands of years of history. That means Roman culture, Great Alexander, Ottomans, Turks, even way before that. It has always been a bridge between Asia and Europe. So the food culture is huge, and we have one of the best cuisines in the world.”

Inside, the former food hall feels refreshed. A back wall is centered by a pomegranate-shaped nazar, the blue amulet traditionally used to ward off the evil eye. Seating ranges from stools and high-tops to tucked-away booths, with a sprawling patio outside.

For drinks, find an orange blossom old fashioned, a Turkish coffee martini, the Fig Garden Mule and the Ruby Slush, a tequila-based frozen libation with pomegranate and lime. There are also a few local beer options on tap, wine by the glass and Efes Mediterranean pilsner. 

As for coming to a new city, Sevindi says, “I had a lot of demands. People were like, ‘Hey, when are you opening in Richmond?’ We were already doing a lot of events here, and it’s a good area.”

He also says it’s a chance for his tenured employees to level up. “We have a lot of staff who have been working for the last six years. … we were like, ‘Let’s also give them opportunities to grow.’”

For Sevindi, much of what drives him and his partner is their connection to the food. “I love people. I really value working in hospitality,” he says. “It’s a great way to get to know people, traveling and learning different languages, and good food is good food.”

Otto is open 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Sunday through Thursday and 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Friday and Saturday.