First Look: Fine Turkish Fare at The Mayor’s House by Selda

The large old house dating from the 1910s on North Zang Boulevard, dubbed “The Mayor’s House,” has been in and out of development as a restaurant for years. The quaintness, character, size and location near the Bishop Arts District in Oak Cliff are a great draw for those hoping to bring their culinary vision to the area.

In December 2023 Mert Tezkol and Habip Kargin, boyhood friends from Turkey, finally succeeded, creating a sort of offshoot of their successful Selda Mediterranean Grill in North Dallas.

The old two-story house has a colorful history. It’s named for George Sergeant, who served as Dallas mayor in the mid-’30s, and lived there until he died in the early 1970s. Supposedly FDR himself shared lemonade with Sergeant on the patio that wraps around the house during the Texas Centennial celebration in 1936.

Such storied history was the impetus for Tezkol and Kargin’s agreeing to keep “The Mayor’s House” in the name of their restaurant, though they put their stamp on the place in other ways. Kargin as executive chef has let his personality and vision shine via Turkish cuisine. But it was Tezkol who transformed the space with colorful hanging lamps, Turkish rugs and furniture. They converted the entire space into a unique dining experience, complete with an upstairs balcony that offers views of downtown Dallas.

We were seated in a cozy room near a fireplace and next to a window. First off, we were brought some olives and feta along with some Turkish lavas puffy bread so hot out of the oven that steam escaped when we tore off a piece. The bread was great and the olives pitted, but we did notice that the table next to us received lavas with sesame seeds on it while ours was unadorned.

The waiter asked if we wanted some Turkish tea so we took him up on it, curious since we’d previously had only Turkish coffee. It turns out that Turkey has the highest consumption of tea per capita in the world. Who knew? The tea was piping hot and a bright crimson color, served in the traditional tulip-shaped glass. It hit the spot on this wintry day.

We ordered some hummus to go with the lavas, and it was some of the best we’ve had in a while, rich in chickpea, yogurt, tahini and garlic with a perfect dollop of olive oil on the top. Asked if we’d like more bread we said yes, please. It arrived moments later, again without sesame seeds, but still fantastic. As we pulled off another piece to scoop up some more of the wonderful hummus, we saw yet another table receive some with sesame seeds.

Oh, well, we could have asked had it mattered that much to us (which it didn’t), but it did become a running gag during the rest of the lunch. We’d receive non-sesame seed bread; others got the sesame. At one point a server brought us some more bread only to notice we already had some, so she shrugged and went back to the kitchen with it. That lavas had sesame on it. Of course. Still, what’s in a seed?

We also had some fried cauliflower, because you can never go wrong with fried cauliflower, and we didn’t. It was a sizeable serving, cooked just right, dressed with some chimichurri sauce and sitting on a thin layer of yogurt.

Other sides include grilled eggplant salad, muhammara, stuffed dates and pacanga boregi.

For our mains, we went with adana kebab and lahmacun. The kebab is considered one of their signature dishes, with hand-chopped lamb and red pepper cooked over a charcoal grill, then served on a bed of rice along with a mixed green and bean salad. The lamb was perfectly cooked and seasoned, the rice flavorful and al dente, the salad fresh and dressed well.

The lahmacun is Turkish-style, very thin flatbread topped with minced meat, vegetables, herbs and spices. When they say thin, they mean thin, reminiscent of Chicago-style tavern pizza. Large in size and full of flavor, the bread never got soggy, the meat not overpowering. We tried to ask what exactly the “minced meat” was, but didn’t get a definitive answer. Probably a mixture of beef and lamb? It was thoroughly enjoyed by someone who does not like lamb, so bravo to chef Kargin.

Other mains include lamb shank, ali nazik (beef tenderloin with eggplant), kuru fasulye (short ribs) and various incarnations of pide, a Turkish flatbread topped with either salmon, cheese, Turkish pepperoni and pastrami, or spinach, feta and onion. There’s a Turkish breakfast option on the weekend.

Great food, great atmosphere and a short walk to the Bishop Arts District, which we did to work off some calories post-lunch. Highly recommended with or without sesame seeds, especially for fans of the original Selda location in North Dallas.

635 N. Zang Blvd; Monday – Friday, noon – 2 a.m.; Saturday – Sunday, 11 a.m. – 2 a.m.