Dec 31
Thursday
Beans: An Investigative Report
(Editor’s Note: In honor of New Year’s Day, we are rerunning this feature, which was originally posted in April of this year. Happy New Year to all our readers and keep coming back for more in 2010!)
Until visiting some of Istanbul’s shrines to the baked bean, we generally regarded the dish as something eaten out of a can beside railroad tracks. But Turkey takes this humble food seriously; that means chefs in tall toques carefully ladling out golden beans in a rich red gravy onto monogrammed flatware, served by waiters wearing bowties and vests. Even in the least formal of Istanbul’s beaneries, the guy manning the pot has the air of a high priest knowing that his incantations alone conjure something unusually delicious out of a simple dry white legume. This is no hobo fare.
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Quick Look
Recent Posts
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Five Favorite Old-School Meyhanes
no responses - Posted 05.11.12
A recent article in one of Turkey’s English-language newspapers, describing plans by Mey İçki, Turkey’s largest producer of raki, to introduce the anise-flavored liquor to Europe, left us both steamed and amused. As part of its efforts to promote the consumption of raki, it appears the company – along with an outfit called the Tourism Research Association (TURAD) – has ... continue -
And the Winner Is….
2 responses - Posted 05.03.12
We are very proud to announce that we have been voted "Best Culinary Travel Blog" in Saveur Magazine's third annual Best Food Blog Awards competition. The competition was stiff and we were honored just to be included among that group of six finalists. A victory by any one of us would have been a victory for good taste. Thank you ... continue -
Vahap Usta: The Man Who Would Be (Kokoreç) King, Pt. I
1 response - Posted 05.01.12
Vahap Usta pulled a pair of reading glasses from the inside pocket of a snug dinner jacket and sifted through a stack of newspaper clippings. Here was a full spread from a major daily paper proclaiming him the “King of Kokoreç” and another with him in his signature tuxedo and bowtie in front of his stand in the central Sirkeci ... continue -
Island — and Table — Hopping in Istanbul
1 response - Posted 04.25.12
Istanbul's Princes' Islands, a lovely archipelago just off the city's Asian shore, offer what we believe to be the best travel bargain anywhere in the world. Whenever we're in need of a vacation but can't afford the airfare, a ferry awaits to take us to the islands. For the price of just a few liras, we're transported to a small ... continue -
Beyoglu Burger Wars: Counter Offensive
8 responses - Posted 04.23.12
Six months ago we were very concerned to see one of our favorite burger joints, Mano Burger, closed down. The workers gutting the place told us there was financial trouble. Someone else said they’d opened up shop on the Asian side, in Bostanci. For six months, Mano seemed to go incognito. We were then equally puzzled a couple of weeks ago ... continue -
Hamsi for Hipsters!
no responses - Posted 04.18.12
Turns out New Yorkers are only now discovering what Turks have known for eons: that the humble anchovy is absolutely delicious (particularly when lightly coated in flour or cornmeal and fried). As an article in today's New York Times explains, anchovies -- known as "hamsi" in Turkish -- are being served in a growing number of spots in NYC, from ... continue -
Goreme Muhallebicisi: The Milkman Stayeth
3 responses - Posted 04.13.12
In the world of chicken breast pudding (a traditional Turkish dessert made with thickened milk and thin strands of poached poultry), elasticity is the quality that the confection is judged upon above all else. Tucking into a real tavuk göğsü requires full concentration, a good bit of dexterity and the proper tool. A special spoon with a flat chopping nose ... continue
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Five Favorite Old-School Meyhanes
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All entries filed under this archive
Sofyali 9: Keeping it Real in Asmalimescit
3 responses - Posted 12.28.09
It’s hard not to feel pangs of nostalgia when walking through Beyoglu’s booming Asmalimescit neighborhood these days (and nights). The old corner butcher shop with its window display of lamb carcasses? Gone and replaced by a generic bar imaginatively named “The Corner.” The veteran grocery store where the colorful and ...continue
3 responses - Posted 12.28.09
It’s hard not to feel pangs of nostalgia when walking through Beyoglu’s booming Asmalimescit neighborhood these days (and nights). The old corner butcher shop with its window display of lamb carcasses? Gone and replaced by a generic bar imaginatively named “The Corner.” The veteran grocery store where the colorful and ...continue
Istanbul Eats Drinks: Otantik Turku Bar
3 responses - Posted 12.21.09
One night in Otantik, a Turku (Turkish folk music) bar in Beyoglu, delivers all the emotional peaks and valleys of life itself. As the saz strumming bard on stage moans out the first few bars of a familiar song of lost love, even the table of stony-faced, raki-drenched fellows in ...continue
3 responses - Posted 12.21.09
One night in Otantik, a Turku (Turkish folk music) bar in Beyoglu, delivers all the emotional peaks and valleys of life itself. As the saz strumming bard on stage moans out the first few bars of a familiar song of lost love, even the table of stony-faced, raki-drenched fellows in ...continue
Ciğerimin Köşesi: New (Kebab) Kid on the Block
2 responses - Posted 12.16.09
We’ve long been big fans of Canim Ciğerim, a wonderful kebab joint in Beyoglu's Asmalimescit area that serves up thin, long skewers studded with tiny and very tender morsels of either beef or liver. Recently we noticed the arrival of Ciğerimin Köşesi (“My Liver’s Corner,” roughly translated), a gleaming, new kebab ...continue
2 responses - Posted 12.16.09
We’ve long been big fans of Canim Ciğerim, a wonderful kebab joint in Beyoglu's Asmalimescit area that serves up thin, long skewers studded with tiny and very tender morsels of either beef or liver. Recently we noticed the arrival of Ciğerimin Köşesi (“My Liver’s Corner,” roughly translated), a gleaming, new kebab ...continue
Dine Like an Ottoman
no responses - Posted 12.14.09
The Wall Street Journal has a new article up about some of the high-end restaurants in Istanbul that are rediscovering formal Ottoman cooking, but also giving it a "contemporary" spin. One of them, the newly-opened Karakol, located inside an old guardhouse on the grounds of Topkapi Palace, sounds especially intriguing ...continue
no responses - Posted 12.14.09
The Wall Street Journal has a new article up about some of the high-end restaurants in Istanbul that are rediscovering formal Ottoman cooking, but also giving it a "contemporary" spin. One of them, the newly-opened Karakol, located inside an old guardhouse on the grounds of Topkapi Palace, sounds especially intriguing ...continue
Istanbul Eats Drinks: Araf Cafe Bar
2 responses - Posted 12.11.09
(Editor’s Note: Since we realize that those who love to eat usually also like to drink, we are introducing a new feature, “Istanbul Eats Drinks,” an occasional look at some of the city’s more appealing bars and lounges, places that still have that authentic Istanbul vibe.) Istanbul: capitol of contradictions. East ...continue
2 responses - Posted 12.11.09
(Editor’s Note: Since we realize that those who love to eat usually also like to drink, we are introducing a new feature, “Istanbul Eats Drinks,” an occasional look at some of the city’s more appealing bars and lounges, places that still have that authentic Istanbul vibe.) Istanbul: capitol of contradictions. East ...continue
A Cornucopia of Reviews
no responses - Posted 12.07.09
We've always enjoyed Cornucopia magazine and its sumptuous take on Turkish life, culture and history. But for us, the best part of the magazine is the restaurant review section and its writeups by Andrew Finkel, a veteran Turkey-based journalist who seems equally at home in both Istanbul's upscale and down-home ...continue
no responses - Posted 12.07.09
We've always enjoyed Cornucopia magazine and its sumptuous take on Turkish life, culture and history. But for us, the best part of the magazine is the restaurant review section and its writeups by Andrew Finkel, a veteran Turkey-based journalist who seems equally at home in both Istanbul's upscale and down-home ...continue
Istanbul’s Top 5 Street Foods: #1 – Sabirtasi’s Icli Kofte
5 responses - Posted 12.04.09
(Editors's Note: This is the final installment in our (highly subjective) look at Istanbul's top 5 street foods.) For years on Istiklal Caddesi, just beyond Galatasaray High School, in one calm spot stood the beatific Ali Bey, an angel in a white doctor’s coat offering salvation in the form of golden ...continue
5 responses - Posted 12.04.09
(Editors's Note: This is the final installment in our (highly subjective) look at Istanbul's top 5 street foods.) For years on Istiklal Caddesi, just beyond Galatasaray High School, in one calm spot stood the beatific Ali Bey, an angel in a white doctor’s coat offering salvation in the form of golden ...continue
Istanbul’s Top 5 Street Foods: #2 – Çitir Simit Bakery
5 responses - Posted 12.03.09
Let’s hear it for the (deceptively simple) simit. With only a few ingredients to its name, this sesame-encrusted bread ring has gone on to become the most ubiquitous snack in Istanbul, the undisputed heavyweight champ of the city’s street food scene. In fact, in recent years, the plucky simit has ...continue
5 responses - Posted 12.03.09
Let’s hear it for the (deceptively simple) simit. With only a few ingredients to its name, this sesame-encrusted bread ring has gone on to become the most ubiquitous snack in Istanbul, the undisputed heavyweight champ of the city’s street food scene. In fact, in recent years, the plucky simit has ...continue
Istanbul’s Top 5 Street Foods: #3 – Kizilkayalar’s Wet Burger
1 response - Posted 12.02.09
(Editor’s Note: this is the third installment in our look at Istanbul’s top 5 street foods.) The sign may read “Wet Burger” (“Islak Burger” in Turkish), but there’s a lot more to say about Kizilkayalar’s moist mini patties than that. How about “Heavenly Slider,” “Binge Drinker’s Delight,” or “The Best 2 ...continue
1 response - Posted 12.02.09
(Editor’s Note: this is the third installment in our look at Istanbul’s top 5 street foods.) The sign may read “Wet Burger” (“Islak Burger” in Turkish), but there’s a lot more to say about Kizilkayalar’s moist mini patties than that. How about “Heavenly Slider,” “Binge Drinker’s Delight,” or “The Best 2 ...continue
Istanbul’s Top 5 Street Foods: #4 – Maya Kumpir
3 responses - Posted 12.01.09
(Editor's Note: this is the second installment in our look at Istanbul's top 5 street foods. It was written by Jason D. Jones, an American expat living in Istanbul.) Although it’s been a staple food for many civilizations for over 2,000 years, the potato has largely been relegated to the role ...continue
3 responses - Posted 12.01.09
(Editor's Note: this is the second installment in our look at Istanbul's top 5 street foods. It was written by Jason D. Jones, an American expat living in Istanbul.) Although it’s been a staple food for many civilizations for over 2,000 years, the potato has largely been relegated to the role ...continue
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