“We have a food passion,” says Zaenab, Manager of Sheesh Restaurant, South Grand’s new Turkish Restaurant. Zaenab, along with her two brothers, opened the doors for business this week in the space formerly occupied by New St. Louis Wok, across Grand from Café Mochi.
The family moved to St. Louis nine years ago as refugees and this will be their first foray into the restaurant business. Originally from Iraq, Zaenab has lived in five countries, including significant time in Turkey. The menu is Turkish, but there may be small influences from other parts of the Mediterranean as well, she says.
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The first thing any patron will notice is the striking copper tables and dinnerware which was all imported from Turkey. With a name like Sheesh, we expected to see shisha (hookah) available, but that was not the case.
There are vegetarian options, but most entrées include some combination of grilled meat and rice. The Sheesh Tawook, a grilled chicken kabob (below), proved a tasty and zesty, yet non-spicy, option.
Ranging from $4.99 to $5.99, the falafel sandwich and chicken or beef doner wraps make for an inexpensive lunch. A Turkish soup, Yalanji (stuffed grape leaves), Kibeh (fried balls of ground beef and walnut stuffed bulger), and Sambusa may be sides or appetizers. The Sheesh Special Salad includes fried eggplant, onions, tomato, chickpeas, parsley and fried bread. Dessert options include Knafeh, a syrup-soaked cheese pastry topped with pistachios. (See complete menu here.)
Zaenab says South Grand was a natural fit for the restaurant. The Tower Grove neighborhood is one of the most multicultural in the city with South Grand serving as the main business artery.
Sheesh Restaurant
3226 S. Grand
Sun-Thu: 11 a.m. – 9 p.m.
Fri-Sat: 11 a.m. – 10 p.m.
On Facebook: Sheesh Restaurant
