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Posts Tagged ‘ Kadıköy ’

Dec 12
Monday

Best Bites 2016

Filed under Features

Yılmaz Tandir Evi, photo by Paul Osterlund

Until recently, Istanbul had been hosting increasingly more foreigners, who found themselves easily enchanted by the city and its spectacular location between three waterways. It had also gained well-deserved and long-due recognition for its vibrant food scene, which represents every corner of Turkey. Entire streets are devoted to the culinary specialties of one province, and these pockets are among what we find the most appealing about eating here. Tourists made the same discoveries, and places that were once patronized only by local tradesmen found an international audience.

But this past year sent everything reeling in reverse. While we were admittedly overwhelmed by how inundated with tourists certain parts of the city had become, we would prefer that to what followed: 2016’s bomb attacks and attempted military coup sent the crowds packing and devastated entire districts that had just opened scores of hotels and restaurants in the expectation that the number of visitors would continue soaring. The hotels sat empty, and popular, acclaimed restaurants threw in the towel.

Read the rest of the feature at Culinary Backstreets.

Culinary Backstreets
In case you didn’t know, Istanbul Eats now lives over at Culinary Backstreets. Same great culinary walks, same great culinary writing. You’ll be redirected there in a few seconds!

All entries filed under this archive


Basta Street Food Bar: Gourmet to the People
no responses - Posted 11.09.16
Dürüm is the specialty at Basta Street Food Bar, but you won’t find a smoky grill inside this tiny Kadıköy storefront. With its bright turquoise counter, tile-patterned floor, and steel-topped, light-wood stools, Basta looks more like a hip café than a traditional kebab joint. “One customer came in, sat at the ...continue
Korkmaz Büfe: Poetry in Rotation
no responses - Posted 02.01.16
Istanbul’s Kadıköy district on the city’s Asian side has long been billed as a calmer, more laid-back alternative to some of its swarming, chaotic European counterparts, and it seems everyone’s figured that out by now. Though the rocks that straddle a long stretch of winding, serene shoreline still make for ...continue
Baylan Pastanesi: A Slice of History
no responses - Posted 07.08.15
The roaring '20s: Flappers in the Pera Palas Hotel were dancing the can-can, Art Deco was all the rage, the Turkish Republic was born. Hope, progress and newness double-stepped to the beat of Kemal Atatürk’s drum. This was the backdrop to which two Istanbul bakers, Filip and Yorgi, opened a whimsical ...continue
Ramadan’s Iftar: The Break Fast of Champions
no responses - Posted 06.22.15
Think of Ramadan, which began in late June in many parts of the world, as a kind of monthlong biathlon 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 ...continue
Şiraz: From Iran, with Love
1 response - Posted 11.10.14
Even we sometimes find that our palates have grown weary of rakı and eggplant salad. Lately, when that happens, we’ve been heading over to the Asian side of Istanbul for unique Iranian-Turkish mezes and hearty carafes of Aegean red wine at Şiraz, a tiny meyhane in the Moda neighborhood of ...continue
Mantık Mantı: Diaspora Dumplings, Part 2
no responses - Posted 09.15.14
Editor’s note: We’ve written previously about the strong connection between exiles and their dumplings; in this review, guest contributor İdil Meşe writes of her own family’s ties to this comfort food. My grandfather passed away before I was born, and although we never met, he has always been a fascinating figure for ...continue
The Break Fast of Champions
no responses - Posted 07.09.14
Think of Ramadan, which began in late June in many parts of the world, as a kind of monthlong biathlon 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 ...continue
Spring (Food) Break 2014
no responses - Posted 04.16.14
With all of the anticipation of local elections in March, the scandalous graft-laden tapes leaked via social media, the communication fog brought on by the ban of Twitter and YouTube and the subsequent call for a vote recount in many cities, this city’s stomach had good reason to be distracted. ...continue
Bizim Ev: The Stash House
no responses - Posted 07.30.13
Editor’s note: This post was written by “Meliz,” an intrepid explorer of Istanbul’s culinary backstreets and frequent guest contributor who would like to keep her anonymity. It all started with Laz böreği. It was not just any Laz böreği that showed up at the dinner party that evening, but perfect Laz ...continue
Advice: Dining with Kids in Istanbul?
no responses - Posted 05.08.13
Dear Istanbul Eats, My husband and I are planning a visit to Istanbul with two little ones in tow. We love to be adventurous with food and want to explore the city’s culinary scene, but are also a bit concerned about finding “child-friendly” places to eat. Do you have any recommendations? We ...continue

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