Photo by Michael Piazza

Magic Bites Bakery and Café in Arlington is not just a bakery. It’s a quick lunch spot or a place to grab dinner to go with owners who encourage their customers to taste their Mediterranean food products before buying.

When Atilla and Elif Ozkefeli moved from their home country of Turkey to Arlington, Massachusetts, their first thought was to open a bakery. But Atilla says they soon realized “American people need the good stuff. And with healthy ingredients,” so the couple decided to focus on meze, the Turkish word for appetizers.

Now Magic Bites Bakery and Café sells a variety of flavorful Mediterranean dips and spreads, including hummus, dolma, muhammara, haydari, spanakopita and freshly made pita bread. There is the rich and creamy Sultan’s Delight (made with lamb and eggplant) and pide, a traditional hand-rolled dough stuffed with precooked vegetables or meat, some with cheese and some without, then frozen for the customer to bake at home. They don’t use any preservatives, and all ingredients are listed on the label.

Atilla says his job is to work the front of the café while Elif is the chef. “We try to use as much local as possible provided that they fit our end product,” he says. “We are local. We care about what we sell. We don’t sell anything we don’t eat.” Although you won’t see it on the label, “Everything is made with love and magic.”

magicbitesbakery.com

This story appeared in the Spring 2019 issue.