Navajo runs Turkish restaurant in San Francisco

Turkish delight

A Diné finds herself happily running a Turkish restaurant in San Fran

By Cindy YurthWorking for the Navajo Times, one meets all kinds of interesting Diné doing interesting things all over the world.

Nevertheless, there are always surprises ... like finding a Navajo running a fine Mediterranean restaurant on San Francisco's trendy Potrero Hill.

For Sherry Wilson, it was a combination of determination, serendipity, and a devil-may-care adventurousness that led her far from her hometown of St. Michaels, Ariz., and into a business in which she had absolutely no training or experience.

It all started three years ago. A social worker starting to burn out, Wilson had just turned 40 and was ready for a change. Her partner, Irfan Yalçin, was a Kurdish immigrant from Turkey who had just lost his job waiting tables on a cruise ship.

The pair had saved up some money, and when a Chinese restaurant on "P-Hill" went under, they decided to make an offer.Comment:  For more on Native restaurants, see Mitsitam Wins DC Restaurant Award and Fry Bread House Wins Restaurant "Oscar."