Jan 31
Monday
Ciğerci Lütfi: The Man with the Golden Liver
There was something jarring and disjointed about the sight of an old man sitting beside an eight-lane highway selling liver sandwiches from his perch on a concrete planter – as if a character from a traditional Ottoman shadow puppet show had wandered onto the set of the film Bladerunner. But this is Istanbul, a city perpetually on the make, where commerce knows no boundaries and any public space presents an opportunity. Like a hustler in a Nelson Algren novel, Lütfi Usta said, “Everybody’s out for theirs and I’m going to get mine too,” as he passed a liver sandwich into the open car window of a taxi idling at the curb. 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
Since You Asked: Cruising to Dinner?
4 responses - Posted 01.28.11
(Editor’s Note: This post is part of our occasional “Since You Asked…” series of advice columns. We welcome our readers’ questions, so feel free to send any you might have to istanbuleats@gmail.com) Dear Istanbul Eats, The Asian side’s Körfez was always my very special night out when friends came to town, especially ...continue
4 responses - Posted 01.28.11
(Editor’s Note: This post is part of our occasional “Since You Asked…” series of advice columns. We welcome our readers’ questions, so feel free to send any you might have to istanbuleats@gmail.com) Dear Istanbul Eats, The Asian side’s Körfez was always my very special night out when friends came to town, especially ...continue
NATO Lokantası: The Lunchtime Alliance
3 responses - Posted 01.24.11
Turkish politics make for a great lunch-counter conversation. These days, one of the hot topics is a perceived axis shift, as if Ankara, feeling burned by the West, has turned the gaze of the Republic eastward, as easily as a dönerci reverses the rotation of his spit. But down in ...continue
3 responses - Posted 01.24.11
Turkish politics make for a great lunch-counter conversation. These days, one of the hot topics is a perceived axis shift, as if Ankara, feeling burned by the West, has turned the gaze of the Republic eastward, as easily as a dönerci reverses the rotation of his spit. But down in ...continue
Istanbul Eats Cooks: Zübeyir’s Eggplant Smokeout
8 responses - Posted 01.21.11
Editor’s note: As much as we love eating out, sometimes nothing can beat a home-cooked meal. But recently we started thinking about killing two birds with one stone and learning how to make at home dishes from some of our favorite Istanbul restaurants. With that in mind, we are happy ...continue
8 responses - Posted 01.21.11
Editor’s note: As much as we love eating out, sometimes nothing can beat a home-cooked meal. But recently we started thinking about killing two birds with one stone and learning how to make at home dishes from some of our favorite Istanbul restaurants. With that in mind, we are happy ...continue
Istanbul Eats in The Atlantic
1 response - Posted 01.20.11
Elizabeth Helman Minchilli, a writer for The Atlantic magazine's online food blog, recently went on one of our culinary walks and wrote a glowing review of her experience. From her recent blog post: I don't usually sign up for tours of any kind; I always think I can figure things out on ...continue
1 response - Posted 01.20.11
Elizabeth Helman Minchilli, a writer for The Atlantic magazine's online food blog, recently went on one of our culinary walks and wrote a glowing review of her experience. From her recent blog post: I don't usually sign up for tours of any kind; I always think I can figure things out on ...continue
Lost in Thrace: Following the Tekirdağ Köftesi Trail
3 responses - Posted 01.17.11
Editor’s note: This week, Istanbul Eats hops on the bus and heads west to sample the Thrace region’s most famous köfte in its native environment. Guest writers Sherri Cohen and Alex Hallowell, Fulbright English Teaching Assistants at Namık Kemal University in Tekirdağ, have run the gut-busting gauntlet to bring you ...continue
3 responses - Posted 01.17.11
Editor’s note: This week, Istanbul Eats hops on the bus and heads west to sample the Thrace region’s most famous köfte in its native environment. Guest writers Sherri Cohen and Alex Hallowell, Fulbright English Teaching Assistants at Namık Kemal University in Tekirdağ, have run the gut-busting gauntlet to bring you ...continue
Köfteci Arnavut: On the Good Ship Meatball Shop
4 responses - Posted 01.14.11
Perhaps it’s the proximity of the waters of the Golden Horn or the weathered wood interior, but we get a distinctly maritime feeling at Köfteci Arnavut, a tiny köfte joint in the historic Balat neighborhood. The members of the Iştay family, who opened the place in 1947, seem to think the ...continue
4 responses - Posted 01.14.11
Perhaps it’s the proximity of the waters of the Golden Horn or the weathered wood interior, but we get a distinctly maritime feeling at Köfteci Arnavut, a tiny köfte joint in the historic Balat neighborhood. The members of the Iştay family, who opened the place in 1947, seem to think the ...continue
The Hamsi Chase
no responses - Posted 01.12.11
The intrepid folks behind the fantastic "Eating Asia" blog were recently in Turkey in search of hamsi in all its various guises. While they tried the little anchovy in some worthy Istanbul spots (including at some Istanbul Eats favorites), they decided to go to the Black Sea coast and try ...continue
no responses - Posted 01.12.11
The intrepid folks behind the fantastic "Eating Asia" blog were recently in Turkey in search of hamsi in all its various guises. While they tried the little anchovy in some worthy Istanbul spots (including at some Istanbul Eats favorites), they decided to go to the Black Sea coast and try ...continue
Hayvore: Lost and Found
8 responses - Posted 01.10.11
In the Laz language, “si sore” means, “where are you?” At least twice a week for past few years, our answer to that question at lunchtime would be, “We are at Pera Sisore.” This little restaurant in the Asmalımescit area became one of our go-to lunch spots by serving some ...continue
8 responses - Posted 01.10.11
In the Laz language, “si sore” means, “where are you?” At least twice a week for past few years, our answer to that question at lunchtime would be, “We are at Pera Sisore.” This little restaurant in the Asmalımescit area became one of our go-to lunch spots by serving some ...continue
Kiva Han: Imposter or Contender?
11 responses - Posted 01.07.11
Imitation may be the sincerest form of flattery, but when Galata’s Kiva Han first opened its doors a few years ago it felt like the restaurant was taking things a bit too far. The inspiration for the slightly upscale spot, located a stone’s throw from the Galata Tower, was obviously ...continue
11 responses - Posted 01.07.11
Imitation may be the sincerest form of flattery, but when Galata’s Kiva Han first opened its doors a few years ago it felt like the restaurant was taking things a bit too far. The inspiration for the slightly upscale spot, located a stone’s throw from the Galata Tower, was obviously ...continue
Istanbul’s Disappearing Fish
2 responses - Posted 01.06.11
The Wall Street Journal has come out with a sobering article that takes a look at the dwindling fish supply in the Bosphorus, where tuna and large mackerel used to make annual runs but have not been seen in the heavily-fished strait since the 1960's. This year, it appears that ...continue
2 responses - Posted 01.06.11
The Wall Street Journal has come out with a sobering article that takes a look at the dwindling fish supply in the Bosphorus, where tuna and large mackerel used to make annual runs but have not been seen in the heavily-fished strait since the 1960's. This year, it appears that ...continue
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