A Fork in the Road: Istabul, Turkey Part I

This past October, my most favorita travel partner, Kerri and I traveled to Turkey for 8 days and spent it with what I like to call 'authentic locals'.  We had some lovely and fun experiences thanks to our gracious host, Ali.  We were very lucky to have a super knowledgeable guide taking us around Istanbul after having guides that were not-so-interesting on other trips.  Our trip was definitely enriched by having Ali giving history of landmarks, neighborhoods and most importantly, history of the empires. 

 

The evening we met, we made the decision to jump in a cab and head to a 'real' fishing town for dinner.  For those that apparently think Ortaköy is a fishing town (like us), you are wrong.  Instead, we head for Forsa Balık Restoran, a restaurant in the town of Samataya. 

Outside, overlooking the Blue Mosque, Hagia Sophia and a full moon, we dined on the Sea of Marmara's bream and sea bass.  Naturally, the fish was fresh, and tasted as such; though I would choose grilled over anything fried. 

We had meze of muhammara (a spread having both Circassian and Syrian origins, prepared with from Aleppo pepper paste, ground walnuts, tomato paste, bread crumbs, garlic, and spices.  This was the best version I had in Turkey) and deniz borulcesi (looks like seaweed, tastes like seaweed...hey, it is seaweed but surprisingly delicious- always served with a pungent and tangy vinaigrette).
Ali ordered us an arugula salad with cucumbers, tomatoes, radishes and carrots.  Why is it vegetables in other countries taste so much better? 



Me (left), Ali (center), Kerrita (right)

 

Ahhh, the Grand Bazaar.  Don't like it.  Especially the haggling.  Kerri and I went on a search forever looking for Kara Mehmet Kebap Salonu in the Bazaar and finally found it in a serene courtyard.  This courtyard is a perfect retreat from the bustle of the Grand Bazaar.  Let me tell you, this was worth the 45 minute search. 

Our pita appetizer

Unbelievable, tender, spicy meat kebabs served over rice and with cacik (yogurt, chopped cucumber with finely chopped garlic and mint leaf)....actually, the best we had in Turkey.  It should be, the guy has been cooking them for over 30 years.

......an equally delicious chicken kebap over rice with sumac onions and cabbage.  Even after this heavy food, we didn't feel the slightest bit sluggish.  That's sayin' something!

Kerri's Çay (Turkish tea) from next door served with a tiny Turkish Delight and my Turkish coffee.  I might be the only person that actually loves Turkish Delights.  Bring um on!

Iç Cebeci Han No: 92, Grand Bazaar

A Damn Good Burger!

Does the quest ever really stop when trying to find the perfect burger in New York? I think not. After driving around on a below-freezing day, the car parked itself right in front of Kenn's Broome Street Bar.

(Established 1972 in the 'cast-iron district' of Soho)
My winter "coat" instincts kicked in and I ordered a bacon cheeseburger with a side of steak fries. To be perfectly honest, there was hope of a decent burger, but without high expectations. Kenn's ended up scoring high points. I didn't even look at the menu long enough to realize the burger was inside a pita and served with a salad. The thick circle of ground beef was seasoned, not heavily, with salt, pepper and a dash of garlic powder. What really made this burger were the short, crispy pieces of bacon and cheddar cheese. The thought of bacon on a burger is it's a supplement for underseasoned meat as opposed to an enhancer; but in this case, it worked well. It tasted so damn good, the meat/bacon/cheese combo could have been taken out of the pita and eaten on its own with the salad.

The salad had romaine, real button mushrooms and a light dill vinaigrette. Nix the oily fries...there's a reason they don't come with the burger.

Kenn's Broome Street Bar 365 W. Broadway @ Broome (212) 925-2086

Whose Druze?

Two words. Gazala Place. Hell's Kitchen, NYC.

This tiny, family run shop makes me love trying all that pops up in New York. Screw those restaurant giants and give me the humble proprietors of Gazala Place. Gazala came recommended by a Jewish friend who swears the burekas are identical to food carts in Israel. I head over during lunch and much to my dismay, Gazala did not make her famous, fresh burekas that day. However, she does make the Druze saag pita every single day. Druze pita isn't the fluffy, doughy bread you are accustomed to, rather a tortilla texture mobbed with wheat grains.

This round we got houmus, home salad and chicken and kafta sandwiches. To the amateur houmus eater, one would think Tribe or Sabra would taste close to the 'real' spread. Although, I do give a shout-out to Sabra! It's creamy delicious and always in my fridge. The way houmus is supposed to taste is grounded chickpeas sitting around a pool of oil and lemon or spices. It's foreign-tasting particularly when you are used to grocery store bought houmus. The home (Israeli) salad is nothing more than tomatoes, lettuce, cucumber, parsley, scallions drenched in olive oil and lemon juice. Soggier than most I've had, it was tart, yet tasty and every last bit eaten.



A friends mother makes kafta for shabbat every week, so I had to see how this sized up. I had never had anything like it and when I tasted hers, immediately wanted the recipe. Kafta is ground meat rolled with parsley, onion and spices, which doesn't sound like much, but when made properly, the taste can be extraordinary.
(sorry, couldn't wait to eat)

I had hers with rice and Gazala's in a pita form. Ordering kafta or chicken in the pita sandwich, the actual meat gets lost. At a glance, the pita looks large, but to actually taste the meat, I suggest ordering the platters and save the pita for the spreads. The chicken equally as juicy and equally lost in the pita. If you want to spend a mere $5.50 for a sandwich, then that's the way to go, but for $13.95 (yes, a steep jump), you get more meat, a starch and home salad.

Next time, gotta catch Gazala on a bureka day and order a variety of appetizers. The way the kitchen spices, babaganush, labanee and lamb are next on the list.
Block out the better chunk of an hour for lunch. It will be worth it, but the service is a little on the slow side.

Gazala Place 709 9th Avenue between 48th & 49th (212) 245-0709
http://gazalaplace.com/