Aug 20
Friday
Istanbul Eats on the Road: Breakfast in Bursa
With all of the hype around Bursa’s claim to fame, the İskender kebab, you’d think Bursans persisted on a diet of thinly sliced döner, pide, tomato sauce and frothy melted butter. But in between the spinning meat-sicles, the very icon of Turkish fast food, the markets of Bursa offer a bounty of traditional syrupy sweets, fresh fruits and berries, farm cheeses and hulking loaves of village bread. The mighty İskender might have conquered Bursa in name, but, thankfully, Bursa’s culinary backstreets, the verdant farming villages that encircle the city, are keeping the region’s larder stocked with a wide array of delicious food. The untold culinary story of Bursa unfolds around the breakfast table in serene, leafy village gardens, before the döner even hits the spit over at Kebapçı İskender. 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 this archive
Baylan Pastanesi: A Slice of History
5 responses - Posted 07.23.10
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 ...continue
5 responses - Posted 07.23.10
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 ...continue
Gözleme Organik: Don’t Call it a Pancake
no responses - Posted 07.16.10
“You’re going to make mine thin,” said an old man with Coke-bottle glasses. “Not too thin, it will break. We load these full of stuff, sir, and it’s all organic!” replied Hacer Hanım. “Whatever, just make mine thin and put some cheese in there,” the man grumbled. Hacer Hanım turned her back on ...continue
no responses - Posted 07.16.10
“You’re going to make mine thin,” said an old man with Coke-bottle glasses. “Not too thin, it will break. We load these full of stuff, sir, and it’s all organic!” replied Hacer Hanım. “Whatever, just make mine thin and put some cheese in there,” the man grumbled. Hacer Hanım turned her back on ...continue
Padişah Sofrasi: Roaster’s Delight
11 responses - Posted 07.05.10
In an age where even Wal-Mart is selling ready-to-go rotisserie chicken, that simple but lovable version of roasted bird has become something of a laughable cliché, no longer seen as a cure for hunger but rather as a symptom of a society too busy to cook for itself. Still, we remain ...continue
11 responses - Posted 07.05.10
In an age where even Wal-Mart is selling ready-to-go rotisserie chicken, that simple but lovable version of roasted bird has become something of a laughable cliché, no longer seen as a cure for hunger but rather as a symptom of a society too busy to cook for itself. Still, we remain ...continue
Omur Restaurant: It’s Thymus Time
1 response - Posted 07.02.10
The Turkish kitchen has a refreshing way of keeping things simple – apply spanking fresh ingredients to a natural heat source, flip, and serve. Such is the case with uykuluk, or sweetbreads, our latest culinary obsession in Istanbul. And there is no better place to feast on this lovely, creamy ...continue
1 response - Posted 07.02.10
The Turkish kitchen has a refreshing way of keeping things simple – apply spanking fresh ingredients to a natural heat source, flip, and serve. Such is the case with uykuluk, or sweetbreads, our latest culinary obsession in Istanbul. And there is no better place to feast on this lovely, creamy ...continue
Pamuk Usta’s Nohut Dürüm: Garbanzo Gone Gonzo
3 responses - Posted 06.21.10
In previous posts, we’ve reported on the unusual eating habits in Turkey’s hot and dusty Southeast. In Gaziantep, we noted the “wake and flake” baklava breakfast. In Urfa it was a morning dose of grilled liver. But in the town of Nizip (and elsewhere in the area), the favored first ...continue
3 responses - Posted 06.21.10
In previous posts, we’ve reported on the unusual eating habits in Turkey’s hot and dusty Southeast. In Gaziantep, we noted the “wake and flake” baklava breakfast. In Urfa it was a morning dose of grilled liver. But in the town of Nizip (and elsewhere in the area), the favored first ...continue
Inci Pastanesi: Cream Puff vs. Wrecking Ball
10 responses - Posted 06.16.10
We’d like to like the profiterole at Inci Pastanesi on Istiklal. And we’d like to believe their claim that the profiterole was invented on the premises in the 1940’s. But we like Inci for non-culinary reasons. This old school Beyoglu pastry shop has been spooning out cream puffs covered in ...continue
10 responses - Posted 06.16.10
We’d like to like the profiterole at Inci Pastanesi on Istiklal. And we’d like to believe their claim that the profiterole was invented on the premises in the 1940’s. But we like Inci for non-culinary reasons. This old school Beyoglu pastry shop has been spooning out cream puffs covered in ...continue
All Aboard: Eating in Istanbul’s Haydarpaşa Rail Station
no responses - Posted 06.14.10
Today's Zaman has a great article today looking at the traditional Turkish restaurant in the lovely and historic Haydarpaşa rail station on Istanbul's Asian side, a kind of meyhane for those about to ride the rails. The article makes the restaurant sound like such a fun spot to eat that ...continue
no responses - Posted 06.14.10
Today's Zaman has a great article today looking at the traditional Turkish restaurant in the lovely and historic Haydarpaşa rail station on Istanbul's Asian side, a kind of meyhane for those about to ride the rails. The article makes the restaurant sound like such a fun spot to eat that ...continue
BBQ Chicken Café: Seoul Chicken
4 responses - Posted 05.17.10
A rather intriguing bird named BBQ Chicken Café recently landed in the heart of Istiklal Caddesi, Beyoglu’s busy pedestrian-only boulevard. A large, two-story restaurant with a big, bottle shaped character that stands outside and accosts passersby, BBQ belongs to a rapidly expanding Korean fried chicken chain whose claim to fame ...continue
4 responses - Posted 05.17.10
A rather intriguing bird named BBQ Chicken Café recently landed in the heart of Istiklal Caddesi, Beyoglu’s busy pedestrian-only boulevard. A large, two-story restaurant with a big, bottle shaped character that stands outside and accosts passersby, BBQ belongs to a rapidly expanding Korean fried chicken chain whose claim to fame ...continue
The “Mesopotamian Truffle” Returns!
5 responses - Posted 04.19.10
Spring is upon us, which means that it's time to go hunting for restaurants that serve keme, an elusive fungus with a beguiling taste that we've dubbed the "Mesopotamian Truffle." Impossible to cultivate and with a season that spans only a few weeks, this specialty of southeast Turkey is worth seeking ...continue
5 responses - Posted 04.19.10
Spring is upon us, which means that it's time to go hunting for restaurants that serve keme, an elusive fungus with a beguiling taste that we've dubbed the "Mesopotamian Truffle." Impossible to cultivate and with a season that spans only a few weeks, this specialty of southeast Turkey is worth seeking ...continue
Istanbul Eats on the Road: Antakya’s Sultan Sofrasi
1 response - Posted 04.06.10
(Editor's Note: This guest post came to us courtesy of Katie Parla, a Rome-based food writer whose blog, Parla Food, is a great resource regarding eating in both Italy and Turkey. Katie's is the first post in a new feature called "Istanbul Eats on the Road," in which we plan ...continue
1 response - Posted 04.06.10
(Editor's Note: This guest post came to us courtesy of Katie Parla, a Rome-based food writer whose blog, Parla Food, is a great resource regarding eating in both Italy and Turkey. Katie's is the first post in a new feature called "Istanbul Eats on the Road," in which we plan ...continue
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