Arnavutköy: The Best Ispanaklı Pide in Istanbul

Usually people go to the cute seaside village of Arnavutköy to eat at one of the many seafood restaurants here.

But not me.

When I'm out and about during the day and happen to by nearby, I pop into a tiny pide and lahmacun shop a few streets back off the main shore road.

Emir Kebap & Pide only has four tables inside and two tables outside. When I stop in for lunch, one of the guys will sometimes move a male customer so I can have a table to myself. It's a nice gesture, but not necessary.

Sometimes I order the lentil soup, only 3 tl, and then I'll order a lahmacun or my favorite - an ispanaklı pide (a spinach open-faced Turkish "pizza"), only 7 tl. So lunch only costs me about 10 tl on average.

I love spinach and cheese together, and this place does the combination quite well! In fact, this is one of the few places where I've actually seen an ispanaklı pide on the menu in Istanbul. Also, I've never even ordered another type of pide here because the spinach one is THAT good!

I always top my pide off with a generous spoonful of Turkish pul biber.

At Emir Kebap & Pide, the pide crust is always crispy and has just the right about of fillings. And it's served popping hot out of the stone oven.

Bonus: you can watch the guys rolling out the pide dough and throwing it on the peel and into the hot oven while you eat. After lunch, take a stroll around Arnavutköy and enjoy the architecture of the old houses here.

Emir Kebap & Pide

Francalacı Cad. No:16
Arnavutköy, Istanbul

212-263-6899

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Steak and Potatoes in Istanbul

When it comes right down to it, I’m a meat and potatoes kinda gal.

I’m particularly fond of steak.

Can you blame me? I was born and raised in the Midwest - land of many cows. =)

I’m still convinced some of the best steak I’ve ever eaten in my life is at one of my favorite mom-and-pop joints in Juanita, Nebraska, called The Plainsman Steakhouse. I’ll definitely be making a pit stop there when I visit my family around Christmas.

Here in Istanbul, I recently discovered or actually was recommended by my kasap to try antrikot. I still can’t figure out this cut of meat - maybe a ribeye or a sirloin steak. Whatever it’s called, this Turkish cut of steak is full of good marbling and just tastes pretty darn good! At 34 TL a kilo - it’s also a bargain compared to bonfile.

Simply add rub the antrikot steaks down with some olive oil, sea salt and freshly ground pepper and you are ready to grill - even if it’s indoors like we do here at our apartment.

You can find some helpful antrikot cooking techniques online here in Turkish, which is fairly easy to translate.

We enjoyed these grilled steaks with roasted sweet and yellow potatoes for dinner. It was a perfect meal - accompanied with a bottle of Turkish red wine, of course.

Now, sweet potatoes are another difficult foodie item to find in Turkey. (See previous foodie treasure hunt here.) But you’re in luck because I’ll share with you my new exotic ingredient place in Arnavutköy.

When I stopped in this manav (recommended by a long-time expat), I was shocked to see all the goodies. Real jalapenos, blueberries, red currants and kumquats are just a few items that caught my eye.

You’ll also be a bit sticker shocked! It just depends on how badly you really want that item.

First, I was told 25 TL for a kilo of the sweet potatoes, but then I started talking a bit of Turkish with him and another customer. Next thing I know, he shrugged his shoulders and said “On lira” for 750 grams of potatoes. It’s a deal!

Perhaps a sweet potato pie for Thanksgiving next month?

Afiyet Olsun!

For a good butcher and a specialty foods shop, check out these two places in Istanbul:

• Kolaylar Manav, Arnavutköy
• Kardeşler Kasabı, Gazi Refik Sok. No: 3 Türkali Mh., Beşiktaş

Pul Biber Sweet Potatoes
For 2 hungry people

Ingredients:
2 sweet potatoes, medium diced
2-3 yellow potatoes, medium diced
Olive oil
Salt
Freshly ground black pepper
Pul Biber or spicy red chili flakes

1. Preheat oven to 400 F/205 C.
2. In a large bowl, add the potatoes, drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle the seasonings on top. Using your hands, toss the potatoes in the bowl a few times to ensure they are completely coated.
3. Place the potatoes on an aluminum foil-lined baking tray. (The foil will help with the clean up later.)
4. Roast the potatoes for about 20 minutes until they start to brown around the edges, stirring once to ensure even cooking.
5. Dish up the hot potatoes onto your plate and enjoy with your grilled steak!

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A Visit to the Arnavutköy Pazar

If you are a regular reader here, you know that I’m absolutely in love with the pazars here!

I can buy a huge bunch of parsley for 50 kuruş (28 cents) or a kilo of super ripe, cherry red tomatoes for only 1 TL as well as 3 “Lacoste” polos for 10 TL each. The price, selection and quality of produce here is far superior than anything you’ll find at the supermarkets. Often, you even can buy kitchen utensils, tools, toys and things you didn't even know you needed.

Many neighborhoods in Istanbul boast a weekly pazar on a particular day of the week. On Saturdays, we frequent the large pazar in Beşiktaş on Nüzhetiye Cad. On Tuesdays, I generally go to the Salı Pazarı in 4Levent.

But last week, I discovered the Tuesday pazar in Arnavutköy. This is an area I don’t usually go because it seems so far away, but it only took me 20 minutes (no trafffic) to reach by bus along the shore road from Beşiktaş. The pazar is located near the Oğul Sokak.

The Arnavutköy pazar is a bit smaller than some of the others I’ve been to in the city, but still worth the effort to search out. I still managed to find a few items I haven’t seen elsewhere as well as the first crop of nar (pomegranate).

These don't look quite ripe to me as the outer skins are usually more reddish.

A typical pazar stand - full of beans, cucumbers, peppers and eggplant.

A strange kind of pickling cucumbers I've never seen before.

Typical pickling cucumbers.

Fried green tomatoes anyone?

One stall also had a wide variety of dried herbs for teas, such as this sarı papatya (chamomile).

In the Midwest, we call these ground cherries. My mom used to grow tons of these in
her garden where I would just pick them fresh off the plant and eat them.

Afiyet Olsun!

A table full of melons and artichokes.

Visit Kemal for some of the best and reddest tomatoes!

Other Istanbul pazars to check out:

• Monday - Göztepe, Uskudar/Bağlarbaşı area near Selami Ali Mah.
• Tuesday - Arnavutköy, Kadıköy, 4Levent, Bahçeşehir
• Wednesday - Fatih and Yeşilköy, Özgürlük Park
• Thursday - Ulus, Erenkoy - near the railroad tracks
• Friday - Uskudar - near Uskudar High Street
• Saturday - Beşiktaş and Bakırköy, Bahçeşehir
• Also on Saturdays - an organic pazar called Feriköy Halk Pazarı in the Feriköy district of Şişli, (Bomonti Caddesi, Lala Şahin Sokak), from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
• Sunday - There is supposed to be a massive, incredible street market in Tarlabaşı, but I haven’t been to it yet.

You may even find one of these handy Istanbul Eats Bazaar tote bags for sale.

If I missed a particular pazar, please let me know.

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