Turkish beef pepperoni sandwiches and Turkish coffee are on the menu at Ananas, a new coffee and tropical foods cafe in Walnut Creek.
From unique sandwiches like the sucuk panini, which features Turkish beef pepperoni, mozzarella and tomato spread on Acme bread, to popular health food items like avocado toast and acai bowls, the blended menu comes from owner Alaeddin Mistikoglu, who is bringing his unique experience to the kitchen at Ananas.
Mistikoglu grew up in Turkey and spent time working at his family’s hotel. He moved to San Francisco to get his masters degree as an industrial engineer. While studying, he began working in the kitchen at Troya’s in San Francisco, where he learned the inner workings of a well-reviewed, modern, Turkish-Mediterranean restaurant.
He fell in love with the food industry.
“And I always had a dream to open a restaurant,” he said.
A few years later, Mistikoglu started Sumac, a Mediterranean street food restaurant. Later, he helped open Saucy Greens and Soup Chu, all in San Francisco.
At Ananas, they’re blending Turkish food items with traditional cafe menu items.
Avocado toast at Ananas Coffee in Walnut Creek, now open and serving tropical foods like banana pudding, avocado toast and acai bowls (photo by Alaeddin Mistikoglu).
The coffee is from Zolo Coffee Roasters in Berkeley. The bread and pastries are from Acme. And everything else is made in house by Mistikoglu, who opened the restaurant alongside his cousin, Berke Tutuncuoglu.
“It’s a family business and we do everything locally, “ Mistikoglu said.
The only imported food item is the Brazilian acai, which he plans to launch at the store as soon as they get the acai cleared through customs. Tropical smoothies are also on the menu.
Turkish coffee, where the beans are finely grinded but not filtered, is served out of a special Turkish coffee machine.
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There’s also nitro brew coffee, nitro brew jasmine green tea and pineapple kombucha on tap, which is fitting since “Ananas” means “pineapple” in 42 languages.
The most popular menu item so far though has been the banana pudding.
“We use vanilla wafers and the old grandma recipe,” Mistikoglu said. “It comes in a glass jar. You get to keep the jar. If you bring 10 empty jars, we’ll give you a free dessert.”
Details: Open weekdays, 8 a.m. to 8 p.m., and weekends until 10 p.m. at 1372 N Main St. in Walnut Creek; ananas.coffee.
Banana pudding at Ananas Coffee in Walnut Creek, now open and serving tropical foods like banana pudding, avocado toast and acai bowls (photo by Alaeddin Mistikoglu).