"Pera is a Turkish spot that delivers one hit after another. Inside, there are a handful of long tables where you should post up with a couple of friends, along with cozy two-seaters near the massive windows if you want to people watch on a casual date. No matter where you sit, though, you’ll probably get a view of their baked goods behind the counter—where flaky baklava get stacked into rows, oozing with sugary honey. That might inspire you to skip right to dessert, but stay the course with their spicy cold mezze eggplant dish, some of the crispiest calamari in town, and a citrusy whole dorado that’s juicy enough to deserve its own banner in the rafters at Wells Fargo." - candis mclean, alison kessler