Ankara is the capitol city of Turkey. There is a wonderful restaurant you must scribble onto your “to eat at” list when you visit. It’s known as Hacibaba. Roughly translated, “haci” indicates “one who has completed his pilgrim duty.” Baba is the Turkish word for father. The Hacibaba is called “the House of Father.” My friend, Ozgür Solakoğlu, vigorously affirms, Hacibaba is his favorite restaurant in all of Ankara. I’ll decide for myself.
In 1949, the Hacibaba opened its doors peddling their delectable desserts. The baklavaci bakery would become famous.
Freshly baked each day, we tasted them all. Here is baklava with crushed pistachio topping.
After success as a bakery, Hacibaba expanded into a full scale restaurant. It is a hit.
Crisp, white linen tablecloths pair nicely with the soft, tufted leather, dark paneled walls, and marbled floors. A strong accent of brass railings gives the atmosphere a distinctly upscale, yet warm environ.
The day was decidedly winter. The waiter brought us a hot bowl of Ezo Gelin soup with bread. It quickly warmed us up, and put us in the mood for a relaxing lunch. We were meeting friends, the blue line of Turkey – two police captains. Our lunch companions were graduates of the UNT program in Denton TX. Dr. Williams had served on the doctoral committee for Suat Cubukcu (aka “Swat”) like in Swat Team. His comrade, Fatih Irmax specializes in international security. We certainly felt safe!
Left to right: Saba Ziyanak, Fatih Irmax, Dr. Williams, and “Swat” Suat Cubukcu at the Hacibaba restaurant in Ankara Turkey.
It’s a small world after all. Just as we were leaving the restaurant, we were lucky enough to (again) run into The Haci Baba(father) of the namesake restaurant, Mr. Omer! We had just run into him in Dallas this past December. What are the chances of that? He was gracious, and agreed to pose for a photograph for our memory book.
Hacibaba Omer and Saba
Yep, scribble that restaurant on your list, Hacibaba. My friend is right. I give it a 5 out 5 star rating!
