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New York, NY, March 25, 2013—Perhaps only once per year do the exotic flavors of Afghanistan, Albania, Azerbaijan, India, Iran, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkey and other regional cultures converge in a single celebration. But on March 21 at International Nowruz Day (sponsored and hosted by the United Nations General Assembly), Ali Baba Terrace Turkish Cuisine, New York’s top dining destination for food from the Balkans, Black Sea Basin, the Caucasus, Central Asia and the Middle East was on hand with a banquet fit for the impressive guests at the UN event.

Nowruz (“New Day”) is an ancestral festivity marking the first day of spring and the renewal of nature. It is celebrated as the beginning of the new year by more than 300 million people all around the world and has been observed for over 3000 years as a symbol of peace and solidarity between generations and within families as well as for reconciliation between neighbors.

To mark this year’s event, Ali Baba Terrace Turkish Cuisine prepared a menu that evolved around celebratory dishes such as Lamb Chops, Lamb Shish and Sac Kavurma, all of which draw upon the flavors of the regions that celebrate Nowruz. Platters of Meatballs and stuffed grape leaves accompanied the buffet, as did a generous display of Baklava and chocolate strawberries.

According to owner of Ali Baba Terrace Turkish Cuisine, “These dishes capture the essence of our annual Nowruz celebration and reflect Turkey’s embrace of this very important annual event. We were honored to be asked by the United Nations to participate in the festivities and invite our many friends to celebrate with us throughout the month at our Turtle Bay and Murray Hill restaurants.”

New York, NY, February 04, 2013—For thousands of years, the month of February and March have brought the seasonal appearance of a cherished anchovy along the Turkish Black Sea coastline and kitchens across the region have prepared fried versions of the tiny, delicate and flavorful fish.

Ali Baba Terrace Turkish Cuisine, widely regarded as the preeminent Turkish restaurant in New York City, is featuring a traditional preparation of the dish—called “hamsi”—through March alongside its ambitious lunch and dinner menus that embrace the full spectrum of Turkey’s exotic flavors.

The restaurant follows a centuries-old family recipe for preparing the hamsi in which they are lightly breaded in corn flour, flash fried and sprinkled with parsley. Served on a large platter, the crisp, buttery anchovies are frequently accompanied by lamb or chicken kebabs, “pides” (stuffed dough specialties) and grilled peppers.

“Hamsi are one of the most celebrated seasonal flavors of Turkey and we are one of the few authentic Turkish restaurants in the United States serving them as one would enjoy along the Black Sea coast,” notes a spokesperson for the restaurant.

Ali Baba Terrace Turkish Cuisine offers a number of house specialties including cop shish (tender lamb marinated in a savory sauce and grilled to perfection) and a rendition of Chicken Adana (ground chicken flavored with red bell peppers, parsley, seasoned with paprika and grilled on skewers). In addition to a complete offering of Turkish beer and global wine selections, the Murray hill restaurant proudly serves “raki,” an anise-flavored alcoholic drink that is popular in Turkey.

Ali Baba Terrace Turkish Cuisine is located at 862 2nd Avenue (Between 46th and 47th Streets) and is open daily from 11am to 11pm. A lunch special is served weekdays and the restaurant offers a catering services and available for private events. For more information call (212) 888-8622 visit http://www.alibabaturkishcuisine.com. Ali Baba Terrace Turkish Cuisine is Zagat rated and has been celebrated in the New York Times, New York Magazine, Village Voice, Time Out New York and other noted publications.