Nov 29
Monday
Melekler Durum: Kebab Fit for a Cabbie
With its walls lined with pickle jars, Fanta cans, six packs of yogurt drink and little grenade-shaped bottles of şalgam, or turnip juice, Melekler looks like nothing more than a bodega with a humble little lunch counter in the back. But a quick tour of the facilities convinced us that packaged goods are only a sideline and that this is a serious kebab setup – complete with a “sous-chef.” All appearances aside, these guys are deep into the durum business. Continue…
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Quick Look
Recent Posts
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Hanging On to History: Edible Nostalgia in Samatya
no responses - Posted 05.08.18
That much of the past seems to stick to Samatya is a marvel in Istanbul, a city being rebuilt and “restored” at an alarming pace. First, there’s the question of its name. Occupying a stretch of the Marmara Sea and squeezed between the old city walls and Kumkapı, an area home to a rotating cast of eclectic restaurants, the neighborhood still ... continue -
Spring Surprises: Skewering the First Fruits in Istanbul
no responses - Posted 04.25.18
It was the first of April and an absolutely pristine Istanbul spring day, the kind where one can break a slight sweat walking up a hill then catch a cool breeze in a nearby patch of shade. Returning to the city from a lovely weekend on Büyükada, we were smitten with spring and wanted to indulge in its finest offerings. In ... continue -
Farewell, Pando: An Istanbul Culinary Legend Passes On
no responses - Posted 04.16.18
It’s Saturday around lunchtime and business as usual in the bustling Beşiktaş Çarşı neighborhood, as crowds of mostly younger people fill the narrow streets. Down on Mumcu Bakkal Sokak, a pedestrian-only street lined with miniscule shops, a line around the block has been formed by those eager to get into one of the city’s best döner spots. For many of those ... continue -
Bağdat Ocakbaşı: Licensed to Grill
no responses - Posted 04.09.18
Istanbul’s T1 tramway is relatively pleasant if you can find a seat, but borders on unbearable if you are on your feet. Back in 2015, we wrote about a trip we took from the line’s first stop all the way to one of its last, which lies way out in the district of Güngören. By the time the tram has made ... continue -
Dose & Istos Café: Greek Revival
no responses - Posted 03.30.18
A café at its best is so much more than the sum of its parts: it’s a place where people can easily mingle, share ideas, and dertleşmek, or commiserate over their troubles, all while imbibing caffeine. At the same time, it’s a place where visitors might feel an invisible thread of common beliefs connecting them, an unspoken camaraderie, even if ... continue -
Back to the Land: Urban Turks Tackle Rural Life
no responses - Posted 03.23.18
When Buket Ulukut first moved from Istanbul to a rural plot of land in the foothills of the Taurus Mountains in southern Turkey, she was leading a double life. “I’d be taking calls from clients in Europe while out amidst the rows of peppers and eggplants, hoping they didn’t hear the rooster crowing in the background,” says Ulukut, who worked in ... continue -
Semt Pazarları, Civic Life Perfected
no responses - Posted 03.09.18
“Two kilos five liraaa! Two kilos five liraaa!” bellowed a young and exuberant vendor of tomatoes to the ongoing stream of frugal-minded shoppers making their way through the snaking Tarlabaşı Sunday Market. Hundreds of sellers of fresh produce, dairy, seafood, kitchenware, clothing, smuggled tobacco, jewelry, fresh baked goods and numerous other items set up side by side in the central Istanbul ... continue
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Hanging On to History: Edible Nostalgia in Samatya
All entries filed under this archive
Meşhur Filibe Köftecisi: Keeping Their Eye on the Meatball
2 responses - Posted 11.26.10
Where we come from, flipping burgers is a time-honored tradition among pimply teenagers looking for a summer job and troubled short-order cooks looking for a place to land in between firings. It’s work that promises mobility, not stability. But don’t tell that to Ziver Usta, who’s been turning the köfte – ...continue
2 responses - Posted 11.26.10
Where we come from, flipping burgers is a time-honored tradition among pimply teenagers looking for a summer job and troubled short-order cooks looking for a place to land in between firings. It’s work that promises mobility, not stability. But don’t tell that to Ziver Usta, who’s been turning the köfte – ...continue
Grounds for Dismay
1 response - Posted 11.25.10
First it was the robotic doner slicer. Now comes the dismaying news of a company in Gaziantep that has invented "instant" Turkish coffee. Is nothing sacred anymore? More details here. continue
1 response - Posted 11.25.10
First it was the robotic doner slicer. Now comes the dismaying news of a company in Gaziantep that has invented "instant" Turkish coffee. Is nothing sacred anymore? More details here. continue
Koco: Quest for the Holy Grill
no responses - Posted 11.24.10
(Editor's Note: We are rerunning this review in honor of St. Cathryn, to whom the shrine in the basement of this restaurant is dedicated and whose name day takes place tomorrow (Sept. 25). According to local legend, some fishermen at a certain point came across a natural spring in the ...continue
no responses - Posted 11.24.10
(Editor's Note: We are rerunning this review in honor of St. Cathryn, to whom the shrine in the basement of this restaurant is dedicated and whose name day takes place tomorrow (Sept. 25). According to local legend, some fishermen at a certain point came across a natural spring in the ...continue
Lades 2: A Beyoglu Greasy Spoon
4 responses - Posted 11.22.10
(Editor's Note: This review of one of our all-time favorite places first appeared on April 1, 2009.) The no-frills Lades 2 presents diners with that age-old question: what to eat first, the chicken or the eggs? This restaurant - a Turkish version of the American-style greasy spoon diner - specializes in ...continue
4 responses - Posted 11.22.10
(Editor's Note: This review of one of our all-time favorite places first appeared on April 1, 2009.) The no-frills Lades 2 presents diners with that age-old question: what to eat first, the chicken or the eggs? This restaurant - a Turkish version of the American-style greasy spoon diner - specializes in ...continue
Fatih Karadeniz Pidecisi: Crunch Time
2 responses - Posted 11.19.10
Inside Fatih Karadeniz Pidecisi nothing could be heard over the crunch and crackle of fresh pide being torn open and chomped down upon. Still, the man across the table from us spoke in a low, conspiratorial whisper, “There are some very well-known businessmen sitting at that table by the window. ...continue
2 responses - Posted 11.19.10
Inside Fatih Karadeniz Pidecisi nothing could be heard over the crunch and crackle of fresh pide being torn open and chomped down upon. Still, the man across the table from us spoke in a low, conspiratorial whisper, “There are some very well-known businessmen sitting at that table by the window. ...continue
Rengahenk Café: Welcome Home
9 responses - Posted 11.15.10
(Editor's Note: This guest post was written by Asher Kohn, one of the creators of Istanbul Altı, a smart new blog that covers developments in Istanbul and Turkey.) Istanbul has many restaurants promising home-cooked meals or something along the lines of what’s known as “ev yemekleri.” Specializing in various dolmas or ...continue
9 responses - Posted 11.15.10
(Editor's Note: This guest post was written by Asher Kohn, one of the creators of Istanbul Altı, a smart new blog that covers developments in Istanbul and Turkey.) Istanbul has many restaurants promising home-cooked meals or something along the lines of what’s known as “ev yemekleri.” Specializing in various dolmas or ...continue
Sıdıka: Last Night a Meze Saved Our Lives
7 responses - Posted 11.12.10
Dear readers, we have a confession to make: over the last few weeks, we were in a serious culinary funk. The main problem was our own lazy habit of sticking around our home base of Beyoğlu when it came time to forage for new places to eat. The neighborhood, of ...continue
7 responses - Posted 11.12.10
Dear readers, we have a confession to make: over the last few weeks, we were in a serious culinary funk. The main problem was our own lazy habit of sticking around our home base of Beyoğlu when it came time to forage for new places to eat. The neighborhood, of ...continue
Meşhur Kanatçı Haydar’ın Yeri: Wing Nuts
no responses - Posted 11.08.10
Editor’s note: This guest post was written by Salih Seçkin Sevinç, creator of the fantastic Turkish-language food blog Harbi Yiyorum (loosely translated as “Eating, For Real”) and the man behind our recent mouthwatering series of reports from Gaziantep. Kanatçı Haydar started providing services in the chicken wings sector beginning in 1996, ...continue
no responses - Posted 11.08.10
Editor’s note: This guest post was written by Salih Seçkin Sevinç, creator of the fantastic Turkish-language food blog Harbi Yiyorum (loosely translated as “Eating, For Real”) and the man behind our recent mouthwatering series of reports from Gaziantep. Kanatçı Haydar started providing services in the chicken wings sector beginning in 1996, ...continue
Mihman: Plov and Happiness
3 responses - Posted 11.05.10
(Editor's Note: Since it turns out that "DTVAE," our favorite Uighur restaurant in town, is closed while the Ottoman-era building it is in is being restored, we thought it might be worthwhile to again run this review of another excellent Uighur spot -- which happens to be right around the ...continue
3 responses - Posted 11.05.10
(Editor's Note: Since it turns out that "DTVAE," our favorite Uighur restaurant in town, is closed while the Ottoman-era building it is in is being restored, we thought it might be worthwhile to again run this review of another excellent Uighur spot -- which happens to be right around the ...continue
Tarihi Karaköy Balıkçısı: Putting the “Ust” back in Usta
3 responses - Posted 11.01.10
The Turkish term “usta,” which means master in the Jedi sense of the word, seems to have lost its meaning in Istanbul. Any fellow wandering the streets with a screwdriver in his pocket seems to enjoy the honorific. In the kitchen too, we’ve found, there are plenty of unchaperoned apprentices ...continue
3 responses - Posted 11.01.10
The Turkish term “usta,” which means master in the Jedi sense of the word, seems to have lost its meaning in Istanbul. Any fellow wandering the streets with a screwdriver in his pocket seems to enjoy the honorific. In the kitchen too, we’ve found, there are plenty of unchaperoned apprentices ...continue
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