• Melissa Pasanen ©️ Seven Days
• Serkan Çetin of Kismet Mediterranean Grill

Serkan Çetin and his family plan to open Kismet Mediterranean Grill at 180 Battery Street in Burlington in July. Çetin, 27, said his parents, Veli and Naciye Çetin, and his uncle Ali Varlik will work in the kitchen together. The family hails from Istanbul, Turkey, and will offer a menu of Turkish and other Mediterranean dishes, including some Greek classics.

The 100-seat restaurant space has been empty since Esperanza Restaurante stopped serving the cuisine of El Salvador and the Philippines in early 2019 after two years in business. The address was previously the second location of Madera's Restaurante Mexicano Cantina, which relocated there from its original 3 Main Street spot and shuttered in 2016.

Çetin said his family has considerable experience with restaurants and is excited to open its own. He and his uncle, who owned a small restaurant in Turkey, are the co-owners.

The Çetins and Varlik are renovating the kitchen and redecorating the dining room with "brand-new everything," Çetin said.

"In Turkey, we wanted to open a small cafeteria or pub," he said. "This is my dream."

Kismet Mediterranean Grill will initially serve lunch and dinner, though it may add morning fare such as Turkish coffee and the sesame-spangled bagels known as simit.

On the main menu will be seafood (grilled sea bass and swordfish); lamb dishes (grilled chops, kofta meatballs and kebabs); and vegetarian options such as lentil kofta.

The appetizer menu lists mezze, such as muhammara made with roasted red peppers, walnuts and pomegranate molasses; and Turkish-style artichokes, a large heart holding a mix of other vegetables.

Çetin said his mother, Naciye, will make manti, small Turkish dumplings filled with ground lamb and served with yogurt and spiced butter.

For updates, follow @kismet_mediterranean24 on Instagram.