Sip Sak

Decorwise, Sip Sak says "romantic French bistro," with sconces and a pressed tin ceiling, an elegance that speaks to the country's history as an empire. No battered golden plates or lopsided tapestries --- those hallmarks of cheapo falafel joints. Foodwise, this restaurant in Midtown East features Turkish specialties like ezme (a chopped tomato salad dossed in pomegranate molasses) and borek (feta cheese rolled in phyllo and fried). Servicewise, though, it's as New York as you can get, with ponytailed-owner Orhan Yegen buzzing around, futzing over each customer, wanting to know if the grilled lamb sausage tastes good (oh, yes) and positively beaming if you order a dish without totally mangaling its actual name. We stuck with the easy ones, like sesame-covered simit and kibbi (meatballs).