Tugba Ciftci is an artist whose creativity and imagination shine through in the menu items she creates for Boothbay’s Harborside 1901 Bar and Grill, Downeast Ice Cream Factory and in her own kitchen under Harborside at Harbor Treats, which opened for its first season this year.

Ciftci is originally from Turkey and got her first experience working in the kitchens of family-owned restaurants where she developed her skills as a pastry chef.

A desire for more variety in the food industry brought her to the U.S. in 2019. She was drawn to a “culture which allows multiple cuisines in one city” and the new techniques she was able to learn here. She also felt people were more open to trying new things.

Ciftci lived and worked as a pastry chef in New York City for one year before coming to Boothbay to work at Taka Mediterranean Bar & Grill with Metehan Sahin, who co-owned the restaurant then.

Ciftci has worked at Harborside 1901 Bar and Grill for the past two years as an executive sous chef. She works as a team in the kitchen with Executive Chef Sylvia Guevara and chef-owner-partner Sahin, helping create some of the delicious items on the menu. But where Ciftci's talent truly shines is in the beautifully decorated treats she creates as a pastry chef. 

Ciftci said learning a new language has been challenging but the opportunities here have allowed her to develop her skills. She spends time reading and takes classes to learn new techniques when Harborside is closed in the off season from Jan. 1 to May 1. During that time, she continues to work at the Ritz Carlton in Naples, Florida as a pastry chef. She hopes to publish a book of her recipes someday.

Cifti enjoys trying new techniques and creating new pastry items but finds the most joy in seeing people enjoy her delicious creations.