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…
-
Quick Look
Recent Posts
-
Osman’s Truck: Occupy Karakoy
no responses - Posted 02.06.12
We generally wouldn’t recommend pulling yourself up into the back of a broken down truck with no license plates that’s sitting in an empty lot down by the river, but Osman’s truck offers a rare glimpse of Istanbul if there really were no rules, and, not to mention, great views of the Golden Horn. In the back of Osman’s truck, with ... continue -
Join the 1st Kebab Krawl!
no responses - Posted 02.05.12
We're happy to announce that our inaugural Kebab Krawl, a guided group dinner in Istanbul's "Little Urfa" neighborhood, will roll out on Feb. 25. For more information on the Krawl, click here. For reservations, contact us at isteatswalks@gmail.com. continue -
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
Tags
- Advice Aksaray Alcohol served Arnavutkoy Asian side Baklava Bars Beans Besiktas Beyoglu Black Sea cuisine Bosphorus Breakfast burgers dessert Dumplings Eminonu Esnaf lokanta Fatih Fish Galata Grill Istanbul Eats Istanbul restaurants Karakoy Kaymak Kebab Kofte Kunefe Lahmacun liver Manti Meze Milk puddings News out of town Places with a view Seafood Southeastern cuisine Specialty foods Street food Sultanahmet Taksim Turkish wine Vegeterian
-
Osman’s Truck: Occupy Karakoy
-
-
-
All entries filed under this archive
Aynen Dürüm: Feeding at the Kebab Trough
5 responses - Posted 10.29.10
As we’ve written here before, if you do a little rooting around, the Grand Bazaar can be as much about the food as it is about the shopping. Case in point: Aynen Dürüm, a microscopic kebab shack at the edge of the sprawling bazaar that serves exceptionally good wraps (or, ...continue
5 responses - Posted 10.29.10
As we’ve written here before, if you do a little rooting around, the Grand Bazaar can be as much about the food as it is about the shopping. Case in point: Aynen Dürüm, a microscopic kebab shack at the edge of the sprawling bazaar that serves exceptionally good wraps (or, ...continue
The Grand Bazaar: Come for the Shopping, Stay for the Food
5 responses - Posted 07.15.09
We like to think of Istanbul’s Grand Bazaar – open since 1461 – as the world’s oldest shopping mall. If that’s the case, shouldn’t the Grand Bazaar be home to the world’s oldest food court? That may be taking the analogy too far, but for us, the Grand Bazaar can ...continue
5 responses - Posted 07.15.09
We like to think of Istanbul’s Grand Bazaar – open since 1461 – as the world’s oldest shopping mall. If that’s the case, shouldn’t the Grand Bazaar be home to the world’s oldest food court? That may be taking the analogy too far, but for us, the Grand Bazaar can ...continue
Istanbul Eats: A Serious Eater's Guide to the City |
 |
|---|