Executive Chef-Partner Omer Artun of Meyhouse describes his recently opened downtown Palo Alto restaurant as an homage to the “meyhane” in his native Turkey, a casual-type restaurant and bar where it’s not uncommon for patrons to arrive at 5 p.m. to drink and savor small plates, drink some more, eat again, and not leave until 11 p.m.

After being invited in as a guest a couple weeks ago, I can easily get on board with that kind of schedule.

That’s because the food at this restaurant is as exuberant as it gets. So much so, that you won’t want to get up from the table.

If you’re the type of person who likes to graze on a wide variety of small dishes, this is the place for you because one could easily make a meal out of the assorted hot and cold meze alone. But do yourself a favor, and don’t neglect the mains, desserts, or the outrageously good, warm sesame bread that’s crisp, airy, and chewy in various parts — like a great pizza.

I’m not the only one who was smitten at first taste here. At least two other chefs whom I know, who have no connection to this restaurant, came away raving about the place on first visit.

A sister-locale that’s much larger and upscale looking than its original Sunnyvale outpost, Meyhouse Palo Alto opened in the former Dan Gordon’s that was previously the original Gordon Biersch.

Artun, who has a background in software and physics, opened it with business partner Koray Altinsoy, a tech marketing executive.

After selling his IT company, Artun decided to embark on a second career as a chef-restaurateur. He’s loved food since he was a kid, he told me, and was drawn to the science of cooking. At Meyhouse, about half of the menu is based on family recipes. Most everything is made in-house, including the yogurt — 16 gallons every 2 days. A talented ceramist, Artun even made the serving plates used at the restaurant. Spend anytime talking to him, and the joy he feels running this restaurant is evident.

At Meyhouse, you can order a la carte or opt for the whimsically named, “Little Little in the Middle,” the chef’s tasting menu that’s $95 per person (two-person minimum).

We put ourselves in the hands of Artun and his staff to decide what we ate. They brought out a parade of dishes, some of them made smaller than the usual serving size, so that we could try many things. And what a feast it was.

To kick things off, whet your whistle with the Raki Rollie ($17). This luminous cocktail of vodka, cucumber, ginger, lime, basil, and the Turkish spirit, Efe Green Raki, made from Agean grapes and anise, had a potent and refreshing citrus and cucumber zing along with a sweet-tart note that really pops on the palate.

In no time, our entire tabletop was covered with assorted cold meze, including girit ($17), an addictive soft and creamy Turkish sheep’s milk cheese drizzled with olive oil, flecks of oregano, and vivid green toasted ground pistachios. Spread some on the warm bread, and prepare to swoon.

You cannot go wrong with any eggplant dish on the menu. Meyhouse cooks this vegetable deftly, rendering it smoky, silky, and dreamy soft. Try it in the kopoglu ($17) with oven-roasted eggplant topped with peppers, tomato sauce and yogurt; or in the pathcan salastasi ($15), where it’s fire-roasted with peppers, tomato, garlic, lemon and olive oil.

The fava spread with scallions, tomatoes, fresh dill, cumin and paprika is another winner that just begs you to order more bread to enjoy it on.

Karidesli enginar ($19) features artichoke bottoms braised in plenty of olive oil, and topped with poached shrimp and herbs, almost reminiscent of Italian cuisine.

Yaprak sarma ($17) are traditional grape leaves rolled around a stuffing of rice, onion, pine nuts, and spices. As my husband rightly noticed, these grape leaves had a much fresher taste unlike so many others that tend to take on fairly aggressive acidity.

Mediterranean sea bass, levrek marin ($18), is lightly cured in lemon, then served with red onion, tomato, radish and red peppercorns for a bright and lively dish.

Beef tongue ($18) is smoked, then thinly sliced, and heaped with tomatoes, onions and fresh herbs for a dish that will remind you a little of Sunday roast beef — but Mediterranean-style.

Then, came the hot meze, which included an expertly, mesquite-grilled Galician octopus arrayed over fava puree and paprika butter. It was some of the most tender octopus I’ve ever had.

Hummus comes warm here and topped with pastirma ($18), house salt-cured and air-dried beef that’s tender, and spiced with a hint of sweetness.

Steamed Turkish dumplings known as turkmen mantisi ($18) feature thin, supple wrappers enveloping seasoned ground beef and finished with creamy garlic yogurt and paprika butter. These are phenomenal, rivaling the very best dim sum ones you’ve ever had.

You might shy away from yaprak ciger ($19) once you know it’s lamb liver. But try it and you’ll be richly rewarded by this delicacy that’s been marinated in milk, then butter poached to tenderness and topped with delicate rings of red onion. It boasts a rich lamb taste without any off-putting offal-like note you might fear.

Carnivores will rejoice in the alinazik ($42), Turkish-style, mesquite-grilled tenderloin chunks cooked on a skewer until juicy and tender as can be, then piled atop creamy eggplant-labne, and more of that paprika-stained butter.

Fish gets grilled simply here to let it really shine. The whole turbot from Spain comes either in a 2-pound (serves 2) or 4-pound (serves 4 or more) size, gets deboned at the table, and served with the house salad of mixed greens jumbled with cucumbers, scallions, mint and a lively lemon-oil dressing.

This is exactly what you envision when you think of the best of the Mediterranean diet — a silky, moist grilled fish with only a squeeze of lemon to adorn it, alongside fresh salad greens for the perfect accompaniment.

Warm, stringy, gooey, melted cheese might not be your first thought for dessert, but then you haven’t met kunefe ($14). This Turkish pastry pie indeed has a center of milky mozzarella, all wrapped in finely shredded phyllo threads, then pan-seared until crisp and golden brown with plenty of butter and sugar syrup.

While I might have favored a slightly thicker layer of shredded phyllo just to make the contrast between crunchy exterior and stretchy-soft interior more pronounced, there’s no denying this dessert its due. It’s sweet, a little savory, and lavishly buttery tasting.

Turkish rice pudding ($13) is novel for its burnt top. The creamy pudding is sweet and rich tasting. It’s served chilled with its dramatic dark cap reminiscent of a Basque cheesecake lending a deep caramelized sugar note with just the right edge of bitterness. It makes for a very comforting and indulgent spoonful.

At Meyhouse, the food not only revs the appetite, but makes the heart sing.