Apr 14
Wednesday
Read Between the Buns 3: Istanbul’s Burgers
(Editor’s Note: We’ve been looking this week at some of the new burger places that have recently opened up in Istanbul. After trying out some of these new joints, our thoughts kept drifting back to the classic “Wet Burger” served by Kizilkayalar in Taksim. A true Turkish original, the “Wet Burger” hits so many right notes in one little package that we decided to include it in our burger roundup. Below is our original review of Kizilkayalar.) Continue…
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Quick Look
Recent Posts
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Hanging On to History: Edible Nostalgia in Samatya
no responses - Posted 05.08.18
That much of the past seems to stick to Samatya is a marvel in Istanbul, a city being rebuilt and “restored” at an alarming pace. First, there’s the question of its name. Occupying a stretch of the Marmara Sea and squeezed between the old city walls and Kumkapı, an area home to a rotating cast of eclectic restaurants, the neighborhood still ... continue -
Spring Surprises: Skewering the First Fruits in Istanbul
no responses - Posted 04.25.18
It was the first of April and an absolutely pristine Istanbul spring day, the kind where one can break a slight sweat walking up a hill then catch a cool breeze in a nearby patch of shade. Returning to the city from a lovely weekend on Büyükada, we were smitten with spring and wanted to indulge in its finest offerings. In ... continue -
Farewell, Pando: An Istanbul Culinary Legend Passes On
no responses - Posted 04.16.18
It’s Saturday around lunchtime and business as usual in the bustling Beşiktaş Çarşı neighborhood, as crowds of mostly younger people fill the narrow streets. Down on Mumcu Bakkal Sokak, a pedestrian-only street lined with miniscule shops, a line around the block has been formed by those eager to get into one of the city’s best döner spots. For many of those ... continue -
Bağdat Ocakbaşı: Licensed to Grill
no responses - Posted 04.09.18
Istanbul’s T1 tramway is relatively pleasant if you can find a seat, but borders on unbearable if you are on your feet. Back in 2015, we wrote about a trip we took from the line’s first stop all the way to one of its last, which lies way out in the district of Güngören. By the time the tram has made ... continue -
Dose & Istos Café: Greek Revival
no responses - Posted 03.30.18
A café at its best is so much more than the sum of its parts: it’s a place where people can easily mingle, share ideas, and dertleşmek, or commiserate over their troubles, all while imbibing caffeine. At the same time, it’s a place where visitors might feel an invisible thread of common beliefs connecting them, an unspoken camaraderie, even if ... continue -
Back to the Land: Urban Turks Tackle Rural Life
no responses - Posted 03.23.18
When Buket Ulukut first moved from Istanbul to a rural plot of land in the foothills of the Taurus Mountains in southern Turkey, she was leading a double life. “I’d be taking calls from clients in Europe while out amidst the rows of peppers and eggplants, hoping they didn’t hear the rooster crowing in the background,” says Ulukut, who worked in ... continue -
Semt Pazarları, Civic Life Perfected
no responses - Posted 03.09.18
“Two kilos five liraaa! Two kilos five liraaa!” bellowed a young and exuberant vendor of tomatoes to the ongoing stream of frugal-minded shoppers making their way through the snaking Tarlabaşı Sunday Market. Hundreds of sellers of fresh produce, dairy, seafood, kitchenware, clothing, smuggled tobacco, jewelry, fresh baked goods and numerous other items set up side by side in the central Istanbul ... continue
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Hanging On to History: Edible Nostalgia in Samatya
All entries filed under Features
Read Between the Buns 2: Istanbul’s Burgers
11 responses - Posted 04.13.10
(Editor’s Note: Turkey is not unfamiliar with cooking ground meat – it is the home of köfte and kebab, after all – but hamburgers (at least the kind we’re used to) have never really been part of the landscape. That seems to be changing, though. Recently, a whole new crop ...continue
11 responses - Posted 04.13.10
(Editor’s Note: Turkey is not unfamiliar with cooking ground meat – it is the home of köfte and kebab, after all – but hamburgers (at least the kind we’re used to) have never really been part of the landscape. That seems to be changing, though. Recently, a whole new crop ...continue
Read Between the Buns: Istanbul’s Burgers
9 responses - Posted 04.12.10
(Editor’s Note: Turkey is not unfamiliar with cooking ground meat – it is the home of köfte and kebab, after all – but hamburgers (at least the kind we’re used to) have never really been part of the landscape. That seems to be changing, though. Recently, a whole new crop ...continue
9 responses - Posted 04.12.10
(Editor’s Note: Turkey is not unfamiliar with cooking ground meat – it is the home of köfte and kebab, after all – but hamburgers (at least the kind we’re used to) have never really been part of the landscape. That seems to be changing, though. Recently, a whole new crop ...continue
Istanbul Eats’ Photo Competition – Round II
3 responses - Posted 04.12.10
Welcome to the second Istanbul Eats photo competition! We were absolutely delighted with both the entries and the enthusiasm with which everyone approached our last competition, so we felt that with a new year it's time we organized another opportunity for you to compete once more. This time we're looking for a ...continue
3 responses - Posted 04.12.10
Welcome to the second Istanbul Eats photo competition! We were absolutely delighted with both the entries and the enthusiasm with which everyone approached our last competition, so we felt that with a new year it's time we organized another opportunity for you to compete once more. This time we're looking for a ...continue
48 Hours in Istanbul: An Eater’s Guide
12 responses - Posted 02.08.10
(Editor's Note: The New York Times' travel section recently ran a "36 Hours in Istanbul" feature that was low on good eating suggestions. Prompted by the Times piece, today's post is a food-centric "48 Hours in Istanbul" guide we prepared a few months ago for a local magazine.) Day One: Turkey’s ...continue
12 responses - Posted 02.08.10
(Editor's Note: The New York Times' travel section recently ran a "36 Hours in Istanbul" feature that was low on good eating suggestions. Prompted by the Times piece, today's post is a food-centric "48 Hours in Istanbul" guide we prepared a few months ago for a local magazine.) Day One: Turkey’s ...continue
Sultanahmet’s Dining Secrets
13 responses - Posted 01.29.10
Call it the Sultanahmet Squeeze: How to stay close to the monuments of the Old City and avoid eating in tourist traps? We get this question a lot. We. Since the Sultanahmet area is primarily a tourism zone, locals-only haunts are few and far between. At most restaurants, prices tend ...continue
13 responses - Posted 01.29.10
Call it the Sultanahmet Squeeze: How to stay close to the monuments of the Old City and avoid eating in tourist traps? We get this question a lot. We. Since the Sultanahmet area is primarily a tourism zone, locals-only haunts are few and far between. At most restaurants, prices tend ...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 we visited some of Istanbul’s shrines to the baked bean, we generally regarded ...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 we visited some of Istanbul’s shrines to the baked bean, we generally regarded ...continue
Istanbul’s Top 5 Street Foods: #1 – Sabırtaşı’s İçli Köfte
5 responses - Posted 12.04.09
Editors's note: This is the final installment in our (highly subjective) look at Istanbul's top five street foods. For years on İstiklal Caddesi, just beyond Galatasaray High School, in one calm spot stood the beatific Ali Bey, an angel in a white doctor’s coat offering salvation in the form of golden ...continue
5 responses - Posted 12.04.09
Editors's note: This is the final installment in our (highly subjective) look at Istanbul's top five street foods. For years on İstiklal Caddesi, just beyond Galatasaray High School, in one calm spot stood the beatific Ali Bey, an angel in a white doctor’s coat offering salvation in the form of golden ...continue
Istanbul’s Top 5 Street Foods: #2 – Çıtır Simit Bakery
9 responses - Posted 12.03.09
Editor's note: While name of this bakery has recently been changed to Galata Simitçisi, nothing else has changed: the same usta is still baking the same crispy, fresh simit. Let’s hear it for the (deceptively simple) simit. With only a few ingredients to its name, this sesame-encrusted bread ring has gone ...continue
9 responses - Posted 12.03.09
Editor's note: While name of this bakery has recently been changed to Galata Simitçisi, nothing else has changed: the same usta is still baking the same crispy, fresh simit. Let’s hear it for the (deceptively simple) simit. With only a few ingredients to its name, this sesame-encrusted bread ring has gone ...continue
Istanbul’s Top 5 Street Foods: #3 – Kızılkayalar’s Wet Burger
8 responses - Posted 12.02.09
Editor’s note: This is the third installment in our look at Istanbul’s top five street foods. The sign may read “Wet Burger” (“Islak Burger” in Turkish), but there’s a lot more to say about Kızılkayalar’s moist mini-patties than that. How about “Heavenly Slider,” “Binge Drinker’s Delight,” or “The Best 2 Lira ...continue
8 responses - Posted 12.02.09
Editor’s note: This is the third installment in our look at Istanbul’s top five street foods. The sign may read “Wet Burger” (“Islak Burger” in Turkish), but there’s a lot more to say about Kızılkayalar’s moist mini-patties than that. How about “Heavenly Slider,” “Binge Drinker’s Delight,” or “The Best 2 Lira ...continue
Istanbul’s Top 5 Street Foods: #4 – Maya Kumpir
7 responses - Posted 12.01.09
Editor's note: This is the second installment in our look at Istanbul's top fıve street foods. It was written by Jason D. Jones, an American expat living in Istanbul. Although it’s been a staple food for many civilizations for over 2,000 years, the potato has largely been relegated to the role ...continue
7 responses - Posted 12.01.09
Editor's note: This is the second installment in our look at Istanbul's top fıve street foods. It was written by Jason D. Jones, an American expat living in Istanbul. Although it’s been a staple food for many civilizations for over 2,000 years, the potato has largely been relegated to the role ...continue
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