Open well into the wee hours, Arkadash has Turkish cuisine, prepared by actual Turkish chefs, that will no doubt leave you droolin' like Scooby. It's a restaurant, not a bar, so alcohol keeps a low profile, and the cafe also serves up hookas to smoke shisha upon request, so you can wash down your kebabs with some fine flavored tobacco if you like.
But the main attraction is the belly dancing. Accompanied by the Turkish keyboard beats layed down by the owner, Yagmur Sahutoglu, several professional belly dancers strut their stuff Fridays and Saturdays at 10:30 p.m., and again at 1 a.m. You can also catch tribal dancing on the first Friday of each month. There's a dancefloor where you and yours can shake it, too, but watch yourself, because the belly dancers might just join you. Keep in mind, Arkadash can get crowded, so you might want to call ahead to reserve a table in the main room. And sloppy drunks are encouraged to stick with Flash Taco, because even the super-friendly hosts have their limits.
Centerstage Reviewer: Jacob Knabb