Jan 11
Wednesday
If You Insist: Pandeli?
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 the first culinary stop made in the city. Which is to say that we haven’t been there in years. In order to answer your question, we asked our resident guest blogger, “Meliz,” to check things out over at Pandeli and come up with strategies for others who plan to visit the restaurant. Her report is below….
Someone mentioned the film Midnight Express to me the other day, and my first (ok, second) thought was hmm, wonder how Pandeli is these days? Let me explain. Continue…
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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 -
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(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 -
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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 -
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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 -
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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 this archive
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no responses - Posted 09.28.11
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no responses - Posted 09.28.11
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no responses - Posted 08.08.11
(Editor’s Note: This guest post was written by “Meliz,” an intrepid explorer of Istanbul's culinary backstreets who would like to keep her anonymity.) While the Princes’ Islands make for a great escape from the city, it’s been hard to think of them as a culinary destination. Until now. The new-offshore-kid-in-town, Heyamola ...continue
no responses - Posted 08.08.11
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no responses - Posted 05.30.11
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no responses - Posted 05.30.11
(Editor’s Note: This guest post is by Jennifer Hattam, an American journalist living in Beyoğlu whose personal blog can be found here.) My first encounters with Turkish fish menus were nothing short of perplexing, and not because levrek (seabass), çupra (seabream), kalkan (turbot), and the like were such unfamiliar names. Spoiled ...continue
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no responses - Posted 05.09.11
In our imaginary primetime lineup, a reality show called “Pimp My Kebab Salon” transforms a drab kebab shop into a grill palace suited to the tastes of the latter day Sultans. Surfaces are suddenly gilded in gold, fountains appear, and everything is reupholstered under the watchful eye of the boisterous ...continue
no responses - Posted 05.09.11
In our imaginary primetime lineup, a reality show called “Pimp My Kebab Salon” transforms a drab kebab shop into a grill palace suited to the tastes of the latter day Sultans. Surfaces are suddenly gilded in gold, fountains appear, and everything is reupholstered under the watchful eye of the boisterous ...continue
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3 responses - Posted 05.01.11
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1 response - Posted 02.28.11
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1 response - Posted 02.28.11
“My heart starts pounding when a pregnant lady enters the room,” said Huseyin, the artist turned owner/operator of Mohti, a new “Laz Meyhane” in the back of the backstreets of the Asmalimescit area. While this might sound to some like the unsavory confession of a man with an exotic fetish, ...continue
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4 responses - Posted 01.28.11
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6 responses - Posted 01.21.11
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1 response - Posted 01.03.11
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1 response - Posted 01.03.11
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2 responses - Posted 12.20.10
(Editor’s Note: As 2010 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 eating moments with us. This submission (after the jump) comes from San Francisco residents David Bowers and ...continue
2 responses - Posted 12.20.10
(Editor’s Note: As 2010 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 eating moments with us. This submission (after the jump) comes from San Francisco residents David Bowers and ...continue
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