Jul 24
Friday
Mekan: The Cosmopolitan
Sometimes billed as “that Armenian-Jewish restaurant in Beyoglu,” Mekan harkens back to the neighborhood’s cosmopolitan past, when it was home to a large non-Muslim population. The food is sometimes Sephardic and Armenian, sometimes Turkish. But the important point here is the place’s authenticity. Mekan is not trying to be anything but a good restaurant with a kitchen turning out traditional favorites that it knows best. Hold the culinary nationalism, and dig in. Continue…
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Quick Look
Recent Posts
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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….
2 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 -
Hamsi for Hipsters!
no responses - Posted 04.18.12
Turns out New Yorkers are only now discovering what Turks have known for eons: that the humble anchovy is absolutely delicious (particularly when lightly coated in flour or cornmeal and fried). As an article in today's New York Times explains, anchovies -- known as "hamsi" in Turkish -- are being served in a growing number of spots in NYC, from ... continue -
Goreme Muhallebicisi: The Milkman Stayeth
3 responses - Posted 04.13.12
In the world of chicken breast pudding (a traditional Turkish dessert made with thickened milk and thin strands of poached poultry), elasticity is the quality that the confection is judged upon above all else. Tucking into a real tavuk göğsü requires full concentration, a good bit of dexterity and the proper tool. A special spoon with a flat chopping nose ... continue
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Five Favorite Old-School Meyhanes
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All entries filed under this archive
Altan Şekerleme: More Than Just Eye Candy
1 response - Posted 07.17.09
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 07.17.09
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
Mandabatmaz: Grounds for Celebration
6 responses - Posted 06.15.09
It’s a dirty secret nobody wants to talk about, but let’s put it out there: finding a good cup of Turkish coffee in Turkey can sometimes be very difficult. Thin and watery, rather than thick and viscous, is frequently the order of the day. This is no small matter, akin ...continue
6 responses - Posted 06.15.09
It’s a dirty secret nobody wants to talk about, but let’s put it out there: finding a good cup of Turkish coffee in Turkey can sometimes be very difficult. Thin and watery, rather than thick and viscous, is frequently the order of the day. This is no small matter, akin ...continue
Karaköy Güllüoğlu: Still Flaky After All These Years
6 responses - Posted 05.11.09
Baklava, the flaky, phyllo-dough based pastry, has long ago stopped being a Middle Eastern regional specialty. In America, for example, it is now a staple of dessert menus at diners and falafel stands across the country. But these places miss the point: baklava is actually not a dessert, but rather ...continue
6 responses - Posted 05.11.09
Baklava, the flaky, phyllo-dough based pastry, has long ago stopped being a Middle Eastern regional specialty. In America, for example, it is now a staple of dessert menus at diners and falafel stands across the country. But these places miss the point: baklava is actually not a dessert, but rather ...continue
Çiya: Loquat Kebabs and Mesopotamian Truffles at Istanbul’s Culinary Shrine
9 responses - Posted 05.06.09
For us, one of the highlights of spring in Istanbul is a visit to Çiya Sofrası, the Asian-side eatery that is very likely the best restaurant in Istanbul. It’s certainly not the fanciest or most cutting-edge place in town, but we rarely leave Çiya without having a profoundly new and ...continue
9 responses - Posted 05.06.09
For us, one of the highlights of spring in Istanbul is a visit to Çiya Sofrası, the Asian-side eatery that is very likely the best restaurant in Istanbul. It’s certainly not the fanciest or most cutting-edge place in town, but we rarely leave Çiya without having a profoundly new and ...continue
Akdeniz Hatay Sofrası: The Syrian Connection
11 responses - Posted 04.20.09
The only positive thing about the torturous annual visit we make to Istanbul’s main police station in order to renew our residence permit is the chance to drive through the low-rent Aksaray neighborhood, home to dozens of intriguing off-the-beaten path restaurants, most of them opened by migrants from other parts ...continue
11 responses - Posted 04.20.09
The only positive thing about the torturous annual visit we make to Istanbul’s main police station in order to renew our residence permit is the chance to drive through the low-rent Aksaray neighborhood, home to dozens of intriguing off-the-beaten path restaurants, most of them opened by migrants from other parts ...continue
Van Kahvaltı Evi: The Kurdish Breakfast Club
24 responses - Posted 04.13.09
In Turkey’s predominantly-Kurdish eastern provinces, breakfast is not just for breakfast anymore. Particularly in the city of Van, not far from Turkey’s border with Iran, the morning repast has been turned into serious business: the town is filled with dozens of Kahvaltı Salonu’s – breakfast salons – that serve a ...continue
24 responses - Posted 04.13.09
In Turkey’s predominantly-Kurdish eastern provinces, breakfast is not just for breakfast anymore. Particularly in the city of Van, not far from Turkey’s border with Iran, the morning repast has been turned into serious business: the town is filled with dozens of Kahvaltı Salonu’s – breakfast salons – that serve a ...continue
Kaymak: The Heavenly Cream
15 responses - Posted 04.01.09
In our imagination, kaymak - the delicious Turkish version of clotted cream - is the only food served in heaven, where angels in white robes dish out plate after plate of the cloudlike stuff to the dearly departed, who no longer have to worry about cholesterol counts and visits to ...continue
15 responses - Posted 04.01.09
In our imagination, kaymak - the delicious Turkish version of clotted cream - is the only food served in heaven, where angels in white robes dish out plate after plate of the cloudlike stuff to the dearly departed, who no longer have to worry about cholesterol counts and visits to ...continue
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