Global Platter > Inside the Black Sea
Inside the Black Sea
Food and love are matters of business at this restaurant
By Joey Peters
Black Sea Chef Ali Akilli’s smiling face and humble attitude stand out against the roasting lamband Turkish decorations crowding the tiny restaurant. The aroma of rice, vegetables and lamb compliment the dark quilts and brown beads adorning Akilli’s dining area. Aged pots and pans from Akilli’s hometown of Trabzon, Turkey rest on display in the back.
If you were to ask Akilli how his life is, he would say perfect. Owning Minnesota’s first Turkish restaurant is his life and love. “This is my job in the world, to feed people,” he says. “The restaurant is my house.”
With his wife Sema, Akilli works at his restaurant 14 hours a day, six days a week. “I am never tired,” he says. “Selfish—I am not this person.”
Although he’s an entrepreneur, Akilli tries to distance himself from the business side of his work. He refuses to expand his restaurant or raise prices. “Business is hungry, but I am not hungry,” he says. “God gave me enough money. When I feed you, God pays me. If you think your money makes me happy, I would never do this job.”
Akilli, who came to Minnesota in 1990, got the idea of opening a restaurant as he drove down St. Paul’s Snelling Avenue and saw a vacant shack. It was the perfect opportunity to bring Turkish food and culture to Minnesota. In February 2001, the Black Sea opened its doors.
If you were to ask Akilli where his recipes come from, he would point first to his heart, then to his head. For those unfamiliar with the Black Sea, the Akillis have one requirement that all patrons must abide by: “Everybody has to love each other,” Akilli says. “Like brother and sister.