Pera Mediterranean Brasserie

Biographies

BURAK KARAÇAM
MANAGING PARTNER

BURAK KARAÇAM GREW UP IN A FOOD-LOVING FAMILY IN ISTANBUL AND MOVED TO THE U.S. TO ATTEND COLLEGE. AFTER GRADUATING WITH DEGREES IN ECONOMICS AND MATH FROM DUKE UNIVERSITY IN 1996, HE JOINED LEHMAN BROTHERS FOR A FAST-TRACK CAREER IN FINANCE. BURAK ROSE TO THE RANKS OF V.P. OF CAPITAL MARKETS IN 2002, AND THEN ATTENDED HARVARD BUSINESS SCHOOL WHERE HE FORMALIZED THE BUSINESS PLAN FOR A RESTAURANT CONCEPT THAT CENTERED ON THE DELICATE GRILLED MEAT PREPARATIONS OF TURKEY.

BURAK'S FASCINATION WITH THE CUISINE STEMS FROM HIS FATHER, WHO GREW UP IN THE INNER-COASTAL TURKISH CITY OF TARSUS AND DEVELOPED A PASSION FOR THE REGION'S CULINARY OFFERINGS, PARTICULARLY ITS DISTINCTIVE MEZES AND KEBABS. SEARCHING FOR AN EQUIVALENT TASTE IN ISTANBUL, BURAK'S FATHER BECAME A REGULAR AT THE RESTAURANT OWNED AND OPERATED BY CHEF CELIKBAS' FATHER. THE RELATIONSHIP FLOURISHED OVER THE YEARS AND EVOLVED INTO A STRONG CULINARY PARTNERSHIP BETWEEN THE TWO FAMILIES, NOW HANDED DOWN TO THE NEXT GENERATION.

WITH PERA MEDITERRANEAN BRASSERIE, BURAK SEEKS TO BRING THE LESSER-KNOWN TASTES OF THE EASTERN MEDITERRANEAN TO THE U.S. HIS GOAL IS FOR PERA TO SHOWCASE THE UNPARALLELED FLAVORS OF TURKISH CUISINE WITH TOP-NOTCH RESTAURATEURSHIP AND INTRODUCE HIS COUNTRY'S INTRICATE AND UNIQUE PREPARATION OF GRILLED MEATS IN A THOUGHTFUL AND AUTHENTIC MANNER.

CEM ERENLER
MANAGING PARTNER

CEM ERENLER'S CAREER IN THE HOSPITALITY INDUSTRY BEGAN AT THE YOUNG AGE OF 15 IN HIS NATIVE TURKEY. AFTER EMIGRATING TO THE U.S. IN 1993, CEM RECEIVED AN MBA IN INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MANAGEMENT FROM ST. PETER'S COLLEGE. BY 2000 HE HAD BECOME THE FOOD AND BEVERAGE MANAGER AT THE FOUR SEASONS HOTEL IN NEW YORK CITY. HIS CAREER FLOURISHED, RUNNING THE FOOD AND BEVERAGE DEPARTMENT OF ONE OF NEW YORK'S TOP HOTELS.

IN LATER YEARS, CEM CONTINUED TO TAKE ON MANAGEMENT ROLES AT VARIOUS HOTELS AND RESTAURANTS, INCLUDING IAN SCHRAGER'S HUDSON CAFETERIA AND THE REGENT WALL STREET HOTEL. IN HIS NEXT BUSINESS VENTURE, CEM WAS INSTRUMENTAL IN OPENING THE LUXURY HOSPITALITY PROPERTY, PALACE, IN SOMERSET NEW JERSEY. IN ADDITION TO HIS WORK IN HOTELS, CEM HAS TAUGHT HOTEL RESTAURANT MANAGEMENT CLASSES AT THE CULINARY ART INSTITUTE OF HUDSON COUNTY COMMUNITY COLLEGE FOR THE PAST TWO YEARS, AND ACTED AS A HOSPITALITY CONSULTANT.

THROUGH HIS CONSULTING WORK HE MET BURAK KARAÇAM IN THE SPRING OF 2005, AND THEY DECIDED TO OPEN A RESTAURANT AIMED AT CHANGING THE WAY AMERICANS VIEW TURKISH CUISINE. AT PERA, CEM WILL EMPLOY HIS VAST HOSPITALITY EXPERIENCE TO ENSURE QUALITY AND CONSISTENCY IN THE MENU AND SERVICE, AND MOST IMPORTANTLY, TO MAKE PEOPLE SMILE.

SEZAI CELIKBAS
CO-EXECUTIVE CHEF

SEZAI CELIKBAS LEARNED TO COOK FROM HIS FATHER, AHMET CELIKBAS (NICKNAMED 'PALA'), ONE OF THE MOST HIGHLY REGARDED CHEFS IN SEZAI'S BIRTHPLACE, THE INNER COASTAL MEDITERRANEAN TOWN OF ADANA, TURKEY. ADANA IS RENOWNED FOR ITS KEBAB PREPARATION WHERE CHEFS SEPARATE DIFFERENT CUTS OF MEAT, THEN REMIX AND HAND GRIND THE CHOICEST CUTS BACK WITH SELECT FAT, ESSENTIALLY REMARBLING THE MEAT AND ENSURING A HIGHER LEVEL OF FLAVOR, MOISTURE, AND TEXTURE.

AFTER MOVING THE FAMILY TO ISTANBUL, PALA OPENED A RESTAURANT IN THE CITY'S HISTORIC PERA DISTRICT. SEZAI GREW UP WORKING IN THE KITCHEN ALONGSIDE HIS FATHER AND LATER WORKED IN NUMEROUS RESTAURANTS AROUND ISTANBUL. UPON REUNITING WITH BURAK KARAÇAM'S FATHER, A LONGTIME CUSTOMER OF PALA'S, SEZAI JOINED THE START-UP TEAM AT KOSEBASI, THE FIRST UPSCALE TURKISH STEAKHOUSE WITH A FOCUS ON ADANA-STYLE KEBABS. KOSEBASI MET WITH GREAT SUCCESS AND THE CONCEPT SLOWLY EXPANDED UNDER SEZAI'S CULINARY LEADERSHIP; THERE ARE NOW ELEVEN KOSEBASIS IN ISTANBUL AND GREATER TURKEY. KOSEBASI HAS WON NUMEROUS NATIONAL AND INTERNATIONAL AWARDS, INCLUDING BEING NAMED ONE OF THE 'TOP 50 RESTAURANTS' IN THE WORLD BY CONDE NAST TRAVELER.

SEZAI IS THRILLED TO CONTINUE THE LEGACY OF PARTNERSHIP WITH THE KARAÇAM FAMILY AND EXPOSE NEW YORKERS TO THE ENTIRELY NEW FLAVOR PROFILES AND TEXTURES OF HIS REGIONAL TURKISH CUISINE.

JASON AVERY
CO-EXECUTIVE CHEF

JASON AVERY'S CULINARY CAREER BEGAN AT THE RHIGA ROYAL HOTEL, WHERE HE WAS RECRUITED TO BE THE SOUS CHEF UPON HIS GRADUATION FROM JOHNSON & WALES IN 1991. LATER WORKING AT THE PARK AVENUE CAFÉ UNDER CHEF DAVID BURKE'S WING, JASON BUILT A STRONG REPERTOIRE OF CULINARY TECHNIQUES INCLUDING THE ART OF FLAVOR COMBINATIONS AND PRESENTATION.

JASON FURTHER BROADENED HIS CULINARY KNOWLEDGE WITH TWO AND A HALF YEARS AS CHEF DE CUISINE AT THE INTERCONTINENTAL HOTEL, DURING WHICH TIME HE WAS ALSO SENT TO WORK AT THE INTERCONTINENTAL CARLTON'S RESTAURANT IN CANNES. HE THEN OPENED THE REGENT WALL STREET HOTEL, WHERE HE MET CEM ERENLER, WHO AT THE TIME WAS THE FOOD AND BEVERAGE MANAGER/ASSISTANT DIRECTOR.

AS PERA'S CO-EXECUTIVE CHEF, JASON WILL SHOWCASE PRODUCE FROM LOCAL FARMS WHILE IMPORTING EXOTIC SPICES AND OILS FROM TURKEY. JASON LOOKS FORWARD TO PROVIDING DINERS WITH A UNIQUE AND AUTHENTIC MENU FEATURING THE VIBRANT, FRESH FLAVORS OF THE MEDITERRANEAN.