Aug 09
Monday
Urfali Haci Usta: In the Bosom of Abraham
Like Turkish foreign policy, we could easily be accused of “tilting east” these days. Just after making our way to Fatih’s Öz Kilis, we soon found ourselves trawling the streets of the nearby Aksaray neighborhood in search of food from another southeastern Turkish city near the Syrian border, in this case Urfa.
In Turkey, ancient Urfa (called Edessa in Roman times) is best known as the supposed birthplace of Biblical patriarch Abraham and the actual birthplace of Ibrahim Tatlises, the undisputed heavyweight champ of the Turkish Arabesque music scene. The city is also known as a major food spot, famous for its dried red peppers and its kebabs. Continue…
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Quick Look
Recent Posts
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Inciralti: Meyhane Time Machine
1 response - Posted 08.30.10
We like to think of Inciralti, a laid back meyhane in the sleepy Bosphorus-side Beylerbeyi neighborhood, as a destination restaurant – not so much because of the food, but because of the destination itself. Not that there’s anything wrong with the food here, which is reliably well made. The meze tray at Inciralti (which means “under the fig tree” in Turkish) ... continue -
The Esnaf Nouveau: Blue Collar Food, White Collar Style
no responses - Posted 08.27.10
In the rapidly developing Istanbul district of Beyoglu, a new concept restaurant is born everyday – Korean fried chicken, construct your own canapé, a restaurant claiming to serve the widest variety soups in the world, etc. If a place makes it past infancy, pirated versions of the original are sure to follow. The market is thriving and those who live, ... continue -
Istanbul Eats Walks!
2 responses - Posted 08.26.10
We are happy to announce the start of our culinary walks program! Turkish cuisine, like Turkey itself, channels cultural currents coming in from every direction, resulting in the delicious culinary chaos that is Istanbul. Turks, Greeks, Arabs, Persians and countless others have passed through here, leaving an indelible stamp on the cuisine. Historians speak of the “layered” nature of the city; ... continue -
Brews With Views
3 responses - Posted 08.23.10
(Editor's Note: we first ran this roundup last summer, but we're bringing it back for those who may have not found it in our archive.) The mojito may go the way of the grasshopper and other forgotten cocktails, but a cold beer accompanied by a panoramic view of the waters and hills of Istanbul will never go out of style. Though ... continue -
Istanbul Eats on the Road: Breakfast in Bursa
no responses - Posted 08.20.10
With all of the hype around Bursa’s claim to fame, the Iskender kebab, you’d think Bursans persisted on a diet of thinly sliced doner, pide, tomato sauce and frothy melted butter. But in between the spinning meat-sicles, the very icon of Turkish fast food, the markets of Bursa offer a bounty of traditional syrupy sweets, fresh fruits and berries, farm ... continue -
Read the Blog, Buy the Book
1 response - Posted 08.18.10
We're happy to announce that we are now taking orders from anyone outside of Turkey that wants to buy our book. All you have to do is click "Buy the Book Now" button on the ad on the right. Books cost $15, which includes shipping to anywhere in Europe or the United States and Canada. Payment is via PayPal. continue -
Ramadan’s Iftar: The Break Fast of Champions
no responses - Posted 08.16.10
Think of Ramadan as a kind of month-long biathalon that consists of an all-day race to beat back the hunger and thirst of fasting, followed by an all-night marathon of eating and drinking in order to fortify the body for the next day’s fast. In recent years in Turkey, iftar, the traditional break fast meal that used to mostly consist ... continue
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Inciralti: Meyhane Time Machine
The Istanbul Eats Book
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All entries filed under this archive
Fight For Your Right to Eat on the Street
no responses - Posted 08.05.10
A disturbing article in today's Hurriyet Daily News reports on efforts by the Beyoglu and Fatih municipalities to crack down on "unlicensed" street food vendors. As increasingly hassled vendors tell HDN's reporter, licenses are almost impossible to get. Meanwhile, a Beyoglu municipal official tells HDN that the only street food they ...continue
no responses - Posted 08.05.10
A disturbing article in today's Hurriyet Daily News reports on efforts by the Beyoglu and Fatih municipalities to crack down on "unlicensed" street food vendors. As increasingly hassled vendors tell HDN's reporter, licenses are almost impossible to get. Meanwhile, a Beyoglu municipal official tells HDN that the only street food they ...continue
Öz Kilis: Kebab That Deserves to be Panned
no responses - Posted 08.02.10
In Turkish popular lore, the denizens of Kilis, a town in southeastern Turkey right near the Syrian border, are known for two things: kebab making and smuggling. We haven’t been to Kilis, so we can’t vouch for the smuggling bit. But we did recently have lunch at Öz Kilis, a ...continue
no responses - Posted 08.02.10
In Turkish popular lore, the denizens of Kilis, a town in southeastern Turkey right near the Syrian border, are known for two things: kebab making and smuggling. We haven’t been to Kilis, so we can’t vouch for the smuggling bit. But we did recently have lunch at Öz Kilis, a ...continue
Mihman: Plov and Happiness
no responses - Posted 06.25.10
It was a dark and stormy night. We found ourselves standing cold and shivering, stomachs growling, in the lobby of a shady hotel, our dining plans once again thwarted by the capricious nature of Istanbul’s restaurateurs. What was supposed to be a restaurant inside the hotel serving southeastern Turkish cuisine ...continue
no responses - Posted 06.25.10
It was a dark and stormy night. We found ourselves standing cold and shivering, stomachs growling, in the lobby of a shady hotel, our dining plans once again thwarted by the capricious nature of Istanbul’s restaurateurs. What was supposed to be a restaurant inside the hotel serving southeastern Turkish cuisine ...continue
Pamuk Usta’s Nohut Durum: Garbanzo Gone Gonzo
2 responses - Posted 06.21.10
In previous posts, we’ve reported on the unusual eating habits in Turkey’s hot and dusty southeast. In Gaziantep, we noted the “wake and flake” baklava breakfast. In Urfa it was a morning dose of grilled liver. But in the town of Nizip (and elsewhere in the area), the favored first ...continue
2 responses - Posted 06.21.10
In previous posts, we’ve reported on the unusual eating habits in Turkey’s hot and dusty southeast. In Gaziantep, we noted the “wake and flake” baklava breakfast. In Urfa it was a morning dose of grilled liver. But in the town of Nizip (and elsewhere in the area), the favored first ...continue
Eski Kafa: New-Age Old-Fashioned
2 responses - Posted 01.05.10
An ironic wink and nudge come with the restaurant name Eski Kafa, which is also a Turkish term for “old fashioned to the hilt.” This little eatery, with its Zen lodge décor and signage boasting “all natural” “organic” and “without hormones” is also decidedly new age – to the hilt. ...continue
2 responses - Posted 01.05.10
An ironic wink and nudge come with the restaurant name Eski Kafa, which is also a Turkish term for “old fashioned to the hilt.” This little eatery, with its Zen lodge décor and signage boasting “all natural” “organic” and “without hormones” is also decidedly new age – to the hilt. ...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
Çiğ köfte: The Raw Deal
no responses - Posted 10.12.09
It may not quite be up there with Japan’s fugu, blowfish meat that if prepared incorrectly can lead to death, but Turkey’s çiğ köfte is one of those foods that carries with it a certain frisson of danger. Literally translated as “raw meatballs,” the dish is made out of uncooked ...continue
no responses - Posted 10.12.09
It may not quite be up there with Japan’s fugu, blowfish meat that if prepared incorrectly can lead to death, but Turkey’s çiğ köfte is one of those foods that carries with it a certain frisson of danger. Literally translated as “raw meatballs,” the dish is made out of uncooked ...continue
Vefa Boza: Strange Brew
no responses - Posted 10.07.09
After our first taste, we were not quite ready to sing the praises of boza, a thick, almost pudding-like drink made from fermented millet. But the experience stuck with us. What is that flavor? Something like cross between Russian kvass (a fermented drink made from rye bread) and applesauce may ...continue
no responses - Posted 10.07.09
After our first taste, we were not quite ready to sing the praises of boza, a thick, almost pudding-like drink made from fermented millet. But the experience stuck with us. What is that flavor? Something like cross between Russian kvass (a fermented drink made from rye bread) and applesauce may ...continue
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