Nov 14
Monday
Urfa Şark Sofrasi: Bleating Good
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 of them bleated again as blueish grill smoke belched out of the restaurant enveloping the bleating man, the street and then us, in a hazy barbeque dream.
This was supposed to be a quick run down to the Karakoy hardware market for a faucet and some sandpaper, but our culinary backstreets antenna, always up, automatically changed the the afternoon’s priorities. So we followed the commotion to a tiny restaurant called Urfa Şark Sofrasi and pulled up a stool outside of this humble kebab shop. Continue…
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Recent Posts
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Fazil Bey Kahvesi: Fad Proof
4 responses - Posted 05.18.12
Two young men stood about 15 feet apart on a sunny narrow street in the Kadikoy market, chafing in their brown lab coats. The one tending to a handful of white marble tables barked “buyrun!” (roughly, “come and get it!”) at passersby, the other quietly wiped down seven or eight black marble tables. The black tables – the ones in front ... continue -
Döner on the Side of Caution
1 response - Posted 05.17.12
We've previously sung the praises of Kasap Osman, a standby doner spot in the increasingly touristed Sirkeci neighborhood, but we've been getting unsettling reports from reliable sources that things might be slipping over there. We'll go to Osman's to check things out ourselves, but for now we suggest diners approach the spot with lowered expectations. Better yet, check out this ... continue -
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….
3 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
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Fazil Bey Kahvesi: Fad Proof
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All entries filed under this archive
Cafe Euro: Georgia on Their Menu
4 responses - Posted 10.03.11
(Editor’s Note: This guest post was provided to us by Olga Tikhonova, who writes a wonderful blog about Istanbul food and life in Turkey. To her credit, Olga has managed to track down what had long been a holy grail for Istanbul chowhounds: a local restaurant serving authentic Georgian food.) (Editor's ...continue
4 responses - Posted 10.03.11
(Editor’s Note: This guest post was provided to us by Olga Tikhonova, who writes a wonderful blog about Istanbul food and life in Turkey. To her credit, Olga has managed to track down what had long been a holy grail for Istanbul chowhounds: a local restaurant serving authentic Georgian food.) (Editor's ...continue
Istanbul’s Top 5 Beaneries – #1: Hanimeli
no responses - Posted 04.23.11
1028th street in the already far-flung district of Gaziosmanpasa might sound like a long distance to travel for a plate of beans. There are plenty of perfectly good beans to be eaten in less remote locations. But we’ve tried all of the big name beans in this city from Camlica ...continue
no responses - Posted 04.23.11
1028th street in the already far-flung district of Gaziosmanpasa might sound like a long distance to travel for a plate of beans. There are plenty of perfectly good beans to be eaten in less remote locations. But we’ve tried all of the big name beans in this city from Camlica ...continue
Istanbul’s Top 5 Beaneries – #2: Husrev
no responses - Posted 04.22.11
(Editor's Note: This week we are celebrating the white bean, that humble legume that reaches levels of incredible complexity and flavor when in the hands of Turkish cooks. Until visiting some of Istanbul’s shrines to the baked bean, we generally regarded the dish as something eaten out of a can beside ...continue
no responses - Posted 04.22.11
(Editor's Note: This week we are celebrating the white bean, that humble legume that reaches levels of incredible complexity and flavor when in the hands of Turkish cooks. Until visiting some of Istanbul’s shrines to the baked bean, we generally regarded the dish as something eaten out of a can beside ...continue
Istanbul’s Top 5 Beaneries – #4: Çomlek
no responses - Posted 04.19.11
(Editor's Note: This week we are celebrating the white bean, that humble legume that reaches levels of incredible complexity and flavor when in the hands of Turkish cooks. Until visiting some of Istanbul’s shrines to the baked bean, we generally regarded the dish as something eaten out of a can beside ...continue
no responses - Posted 04.19.11
(Editor's Note: This week we are celebrating the white bean, that humble legume that reaches levels of incredible complexity and flavor when in the hands of Turkish cooks. Until visiting some of Istanbul’s shrines to the baked bean, we generally regarded the dish as something eaten out of a can beside ...continue
Istanbul’s Top 5 Beaneries – #5: Erzincanli Ali Baba
no responses - Posted 04.18.11
(Editor's Note: This week we are celebrating the white bean, that humble legume that reaches levels of incredible complexity and flavor when in the hands of Turkish cooks. Until visiting some of Istanbul’s shrines to the baked bean, we generally regarded the dish as something eaten out of a can beside ...continue
no responses - Posted 04.18.11
(Editor's Note: This week we are celebrating the white bean, that humble legume that reaches levels of incredible complexity and flavor when in the hands of Turkish cooks. Until visiting some of Istanbul’s shrines to the baked bean, we generally regarded the dish as something eaten out of a can beside ...continue
Beans: An Investigative Report
1 response - Posted 12.31.09
(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 ...continue
1 response - Posted 12.31.09
(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 ...continue
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