EDGE Chicago

While some people consider Bodrum to be "the Hamptons of Turkey," for me, flying into Bodrum was a bit like finding Brigadoon. From the window of the plane, I watched as a series of misty blue islands rose almost chimerically out of the silvery gray sea.

History, geography, and current events have never been my strong suits. But even I, who would rather be immersed in a plate of loukamoades (Greek doughnuts) than stumbling among the rubble of an archeological ruin, found myself inspired.

The country’s Mediterranean beaches and millennial ruins are largely deserted, and bargains abound. Travel operators who offer all-inclusive package deals at seaside resort hotels have slashed their already reasonable rates in a bid to lure visitors.

Lebanese chef Joumana Accad brings traditional Lebanese summer favorites to dining room tables everywhere, using a bounty of fresh herbs and spices to create a Mediterranean summertime feast.

Today, it’s a sprawl of luxury vacation homes where Egypt’s wealthy play on the white beaches of the Mediterranean coast. But 2,000 years ago, this was a thriving Greco-Roman port city, boasting villas of merchants grown rich on the wheat and olive trade.

Chicago’s famed Tizi Melloul Mediterranean Restaurant celebrates their 10th birthday with a new menu, outdoor patio and weekly specials.