Jan 31
Tuesday
Nuruosmaniye Koftecisi: Landmark Meatballs
In Istanbul, if all you have is a street address of a restaurant, you are as good as lost. It’s all about proximity to landmarks, as in Postanede’ki kokoreçci (the kokoreç vendor near the Post Office), Suleymaniyede’ki kurufasuliyeciler (the bean shops at Suleymaniye Mosque). This is the way we’ve learned to navigate this city and we’ve even found reason to tag some places according to our own associations.
Approaching the Grand Bazaar from the northeast you encounter the market’s “Nuruosmaniye Gate,” named for the nearby baroque Nuruosmaniye mosque, built in the late 18th century. But to us, this will always be the “Kofte Gate” for its proximity to Nuruosmaniye Koftecisi, established in 1974.
Stepping inside this humble shop, sawdust underfoot, we were instantly calmed by a rhythm we recognized from any busy neighborhood eatery at lunchtime. Continue…
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Nuruosmaniye Koftecisi: Landmark Meatballs
no responses - Posted 01.31.12
In Istanbul, if all you have is a street address of a restaurant, you are as good as lost. It’s all about proximity to landmarks, as in Postanede’ki kokoreçci (the kokoreç vendor near the Post Office), Suleymaniyede’ki kurufasuliyeciler (the bean shops at Suleymaniye Mosque). This is the way we’ve learned to navigate this city and we’ve even found reason to ... continue -
Get Ready for the Kebab Krawl!
4 responses - Posted 01.23.12
It’s nighttime in Istanbul’s “Little Urfa.” Follow the wail of the Kurdish Frank Sinatra, Ibrahim Tatlises, blasting from a souped-up vintage Fiat. Puzzle over handwritten Arabic signs in the barbershop windows. Sample the essence of southeast Turkey in the spice shops selling the region’s fiery peppers. And, most of all, marinate in the fragrant smoke that comes from the countless ... continue -
If You Insist: Pandeli?
3 responses - Posted 01.11.12
Dear Istanbul Eats, I've heard and read so much about the historic Pandeli restaurant in Eminonu's Spice Bazaar, including that it's nothing more than an overpriced tourist trap. Have you been there recently? Is it worth going to? Concerned in Cincinnati Dear Concerned, Thanks for the great question. Pandeli is indeed a venerable spot and, for a certain generation of visitors to Istanbul, often ... continue -
Istanbul Eats Drinks: Yaşasın Sparkling Wine
no responses - Posted 01.06.12
(Editor’s Note: This post is part of our ongoing “wine chats” with sommelier and oenophile Serdar Kombe. Today he talks about a Turkish sparkling wine that’s actually worth talking about.) 1. A wine expert whose opinion we trust told us that "Turkish bubblies are positively undrinkable!!!" Is that the case? Is Turkey's terroir not suited for sparkling wines? Actually making good sparkling ... continue -
Best Bites of 2011: Our Take, Pt. 2
no responses - Posted 12.30.11
Merih Resturant This well-loved meyhane cum esnaf lokanta (Meykanta? Lokhane?), located near Beygolu’s Balik Pazar, presented one of the year’s great culinary mysteries. Namely: how that, despite being a decades-old neighborhood institution that’s located on a street we walk down on a regular basis, it took us until 2011 to actually notice it and step inside for a meal? Our overlooking ... continue -
Best Bites of 2011: Our Take, Pt. 1
no responses - Posted 12.29.11
Mandabatmaz This “Best Bite” is actually a “Best Sip.” For years we’ve been frequenting the small alley off Istiklal where Cemil Pilik – Istanbul’s finest Turkish coffee maker, bar none – works his sludgy magic out of a hole-in-the-wall barely big enough to hold him and his samovar of hot water. On a sunny afternoon this past September, Pilik’s almost chocolaty ... continue -
Best Bites 2011: Heyamola in May
no responses - Posted 12.28.11
(Editor’s Note: As 2011 heads to an end, we are looking back at our “Best Bites” of the year and are asking our readers to do the same and share their best Istanbul (or Turkey) eating moments with us. This submission comes from "Meliz," an intrepid explorer of Istanbul’s culinary backstreets and a frequent Istanbul Eats guest contributor this past year.) In May, ... continue
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Nuruosmaniye Koftecisi: Landmark Meatballs
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All entries filed under Reviews (Eats)
If You Insist: Pandeli?
3 responses - Posted 01.11.12
Dear Istanbul Eats, I've heard and read so much about the historic Pandeli restaurant in Eminonu's Spice Bazaar, including that it's nothing more than an overpriced tourist trap. Have you been there recently? Is it worth going to? Concerned in Cincinnati Dear Concerned, Thanks for the great question. Pandeli is indeed a venerable spot ...continue
3 responses - Posted 01.11.12
Dear Istanbul Eats, I've heard and read so much about the historic Pandeli restaurant in Eminonu's Spice Bazaar, including that it's nothing more than an overpriced tourist trap. Have you been there recently? Is it worth going to? Concerned in Cincinnati Dear Concerned, Thanks for the great question. Pandeli is indeed a venerable spot ...continue
Bizim Ev: The Stash House
3 responses - Posted 12.06.11
(Editor’s Note: This guest post was written by “Meliz,” an intrepid explorer of Istanbul’s culinary backstreets and a frequent contributor to these pages who would like to keep her anonymity.) It all started with Laz boregi. It was not just any Laz boregi that showed up at the dinner party that evening, ...continue
3 responses - Posted 12.06.11
(Editor’s Note: This guest post was written by “Meliz,” an intrepid explorer of Istanbul’s culinary backstreets and a frequent contributor to these pages who would like to keep her anonymity.) It all started with Laz boregi. It was not just any Laz boregi that showed up at the dinner party that evening, ...continue
Datli Maya: Oven of Wonders
6 responses - Posted 11.28.11
About eight years ago, in a cozy little dining room off of an open kitchen, we first encountered the chef Dilara Erbay, who, in her trademark Turko-English patois, barked orders at us and her kitchen staff, thoroughly charmed our table and, most importantly, created delicious, inspired food. Sticking close to ...continue
6 responses - Posted 11.28.11
About eight years ago, in a cozy little dining room off of an open kitchen, we first encountered the chef Dilara Erbay, who, in her trademark Turko-English patois, barked orders at us and her kitchen staff, thoroughly charmed our table and, most importantly, created delicious, inspired food. Sticking close to ...continue
Kuçuk Ev: Fantastic Voyage
no responses - Posted 11.22.11
“I want to go to the soccer match, everything must go! Game day discount! Hamsi one Lira! One Lira!” the fishmonger shouted from a rickety stand spread with fresh fish glistening under a bare light bulb. Judging by the cackles coming other fishmongers and tables at the adjacent fish house, ...continue
no responses - Posted 11.22.11
“I want to go to the soccer match, everything must go! Game day discount! Hamsi one Lira! One Lira!” the fishmonger shouted from a rickety stand spread with fresh fish glistening under a bare light bulb. Judging by the cackles coming other fishmongers and tables at the adjacent fish house, ...continue
Urfa Şark Sofrasi: Bleating Good
no responses - Posted 11.14.11
On a narrow alley just beyond the back gate of the Hirdavatcilar Carsisi in Karakoy, we distinctly heard the bleat of a sheep. Turning the corner we saw men wearing coveralls and vests with “Makita” stitched over the breast seated at low tables laughing through mouthfuls of flatbread. “Me-e-e-e-eh,” one ...continue
no responses - Posted 11.14.11
On a narrow alley just beyond the back gate of the Hirdavatcilar Carsisi in Karakoy, we distinctly heard the bleat of a sheep. Turning the corner we saw men wearing coveralls and vests with “Makita” stitched over the breast seated at low tables laughing through mouthfuls of flatbread. “Me-e-e-e-eh,” one ...continue
Tunclar lokantasi: Ottoman For the People
1 response - Posted 11.07.11
From the top of Elmadag Caddesi in Harbiye, an unbroken line of tiny Ottoman-era row houses spills down the steep slope of the street. It is one of our favorite Istanbul streetscapes, evoking a rarely heralded image of 19th-century working class Beyoglu. Though “Ottoman” is a qualifier that usually refers ...continue
1 response - Posted 11.07.11
From the top of Elmadag Caddesi in Harbiye, an unbroken line of tiny Ottoman-era row houses spills down the steep slope of the street. It is one of our favorite Istanbul streetscapes, evoking a rarely heralded image of 19th-century working class Beyoglu. Though “Ottoman” is a qualifier that usually refers ...continue
Hamsi – Six Favorite Spots to Eat the Little Fish
2 responses - Posted 10.31.11
The arrival of fall in Istanbul for us usually means just one thing: hamsi season is about to begin. Hamsi, of course, are the minuscule fish (Black Sea anchovies) that Istanbulites are mad for, and the coming of fall and the further cooling of the Black Sea’s waters mark the beginning ...continue
2 responses - Posted 10.31.11
The arrival of fall in Istanbul for us usually means just one thing: hamsi season is about to begin. Hamsi, of course, are the minuscule fish (Black Sea anchovies) that Istanbulites are mad for, and the coming of fall and the further cooling of the Black Sea’s waters mark the beginning ...continue
Altan Şekerleme: More Than Just Eye Candy
1 response - Posted 10.24.11
Just up the Golden Horn from the Egyptian Spice Bazaar is Kuçuk Pazari – a rarely explored warren of market streets and Ottoman-era caravanserais that are home to scissor sharpeners, saddle shops, vendors selling axle grease (by the vat) and purveyors of axes. From this potpourri of run down, yet ...continue
1 response - Posted 10.24.11
Just up the Golden Horn from the Egyptian Spice Bazaar is Kuçuk Pazari – a rarely explored warren of market streets and Ottoman-era caravanserais that are home to scissor sharpeners, saddle shops, vendors selling axle grease (by the vat) and purveyors of axes. From this potpourri of run down, yet ...continue
Kofteci Cemal: Meatball Depot
no responses - Posted 10.17.11
In the category of ambience, Kofteci Cemal scores high marks quite effortlessly. On a street of mostly-demolished row shops down in Karakoy’s Persembe Pazari hardware market, Cemal makes his presence known with a bright yellow paint job and the word “kofteci” spray-painted on the front, back and sides of his ...continue
no responses - Posted 10.17.11
In the category of ambience, Kofteci Cemal scores high marks quite effortlessly. On a street of mostly-demolished row shops down in Karakoy’s Persembe Pazari hardware market, Cemal makes his presence known with a bright yellow paint job and the word “kofteci” spray-painted on the front, back and sides of his ...continue
Kelle Söğüş vs. Kelle Tandir: Face/Off
no responses - Posted 10.10.11
Don’t people just love to fight about food? Punch ups over which city makes the best pizza, brawls about what’s the right way to barbecue. Louis and Ella nearly called the whole thing off over the pronunciation of the word “tomato.” In this pugilistic spirit, we took our place at a ...continue
no responses - Posted 10.10.11
Don’t people just love to fight about food? Punch ups over which city makes the best pizza, brawls about what’s the right way to barbecue. Louis and Ella nearly called the whole thing off over the pronunciation of the word “tomato.” In this pugilistic spirit, we took our place at a ...continue
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