Sofyali 9, Istanbul. June, 2007

I’ll have that one right there, please. And that one. And that one over there, too. Oh, the pleasures of the meze tray that’s brought to you at Sofyali 9 (and many another Istanbul restaurant) from which you can choose your selection of appetizers. What have we here? Some stuffed peppers, some whipped feta with hot peppers, some cacik (cucumber, yogurt, garlic, mint), broad beans slow-simmered with tomato, marinated anchovies, some acili ezme (a hot pepper relish), potato salad, the list goes on and on. And these are just the cold selections. At Sofyali 9 (where Nick and I had our first and last meals on this first trip to the City of the World’s Desire), they bring around an assortment of hot meze, too, right from the cook’s kitchen: fried liver cubes (a Turkish specialty) and small cheese turnovers to name just two. It’s so hard not to fill up on meze in order not to spoil your appetite for the main courses, which are also excellent here. And for dessert, how about a slice of perfectly ripe melon? Yes, please. [Gentle Reader: Jay and I are off to Istanbul tonight, October 11, 2011. Then onto a boat through the Greek Isles, to Ephesus, to Rhodes, Santorini, Athens, Sicily, Amalfi and finally Rome. I'm hoping you can travel with us via SLS' past-trip-related postings throughout.]

Sofyali 9, Istanbul. June, 2007

I’ll have that one right there, please. And that one. And that one over there, too. Oh, the pleasures of the meze tray that’s brought to you at Sofyali 9 (and many another Istanbul restaurant) from which you can choose your selection of appetizers. What have we here? Some stuffed peppers, some whipped feta with hot peppers, some cacik (cucumber, yogurt, garlic, mint), broad beans slow-simmered with tomato, marinated anchovies, some acili ezme (a hot pepper relish), potato salad, the list goes on and on. And these are just the cold selections. At Sofyali 9 (where Nick and I had our first and last meals on this first trip to the City of the World’s Desire), they bring around an assortment of hot meze, too, right from the cook’s kitchen: fried liver cubes (a Turkish specialty) and small cheese turnovers to name just two. It’s so hard not to fill up on meze in order not to spoil your appetite for the main courses, which are also excellent here. And for dessert, how about a slice of perfectly ripe melon? Yes, please.

Istanbul. June, 2007

Mmmmm. The meze selection here at Sofyali 9 is so good, it’s hard to save room for the main course and dessert. And these are just six of the many cold offerings brought to the table for your choosing. Octopus salad, marinated anchovies, eggplant salad, stuffed peppers, acili ezme (red pepper paste) and fried eggplant (?) in yogurt. Finish these and the hot appetizers will soon come your way. No wonder Turkish meals go on happily for hours and hours.

Istanbul. June, 2007

As I write this in August at my desk in Massachusetts, the Muslim world is honoring the holiest period of the year, Ramadan. This is the time that the faithful read daily from the Koran, fast from sunrise to sunset, are especially devout. And it’s also the time of iftar, the meal that nightly breaks the day’s fast and fortifies people to get them through the next stretch of daylight abstinence. Though the iftar may have had its humble beginnings as a few dates and some bread, it has in some circles become a lavish spread guaranteed to fill the eater for hours to come. Some restaurants expand their normal menus to include special dishes to mark the holy season. Others set up extra tables outside, sometimes under tents, to accommodate the Ramadan crowds. The meals often extend way past midnight, some almost until sunrise when the fast begins again. I wonder if these three waiters, who kindly agreed to be snapped at our farewell meal in Istanbul, have to deal with any especially spikey diners at the excellent Sofyali 9, people whose blood sugar may be low from hours of fasting, testing the limits of even the most gracious traditions of Middle Eastern hospitality.

Istanbul. June, 2007

As I write this in August at my desk in Massachusetts, the Muslim world has recently finished honoring the holiest period of the year, Ramadan. This is the time that the faithful read daily from the Koran, fast from sunrise to sunset, are especially devout. And it’s also the time of iftar, the meal that nightly breaks the day’s fast and fortifies people to get them through the next stretch of daylight abstinence. Though the iftar may have had its humble beginnings as a few dates and some bread, it has in some circles become a lavish spread guaranteed to fill the eater for hours to come. Some restaurants expand their normal menus to include special dishes to mark the holy season. Others set up extra tables outside, sometimes under tents, to accommodate the Ramadan crowds. The meals often extend way past midnight, some almost until sunrise when the fast begins again. I wonder if these three waiters, who kindly agreed to be snapped at our farewell meal in Istanbul, have to deal with any especially spikey diners at the excellent Sofyali 9, people whose blood sugar may be low from hours of fasting, testing the limits of even the most gracious traditions of Middle Eastern hospitality.

Sofyali 9, Istanbul. June, 2007

What a gem this restaurant is. When Nick and I went to Istanbul in 2007, we had our first meal here. And our last. Situated in Beyoğlu at the corner of two small pedestrian alleys, it’s the perfect spot for a lazy, late-evening, outdoor dinner. First up, the waiter comes by with a huge tray (how can he balance it?) on which sit about a dozen small dishes of meze choices: purslane in yogurt, eggplant salad, muhammarah (pomegranate/walnut spread), broad beans with tomato, cheese spreads, etc. Various hot meze are circulated among the tables as they emerge from the kitchen: cheese croquettes, fried liver chunks, etc. You’re almost too full to order an entree, but the variety of fresh fish and lamb choices are hard to pass up. To finish, perhaps a slice of the most perfectly ripe melon, the type (and quality) of which is not to be found stateside. A justifiably popular spot for natives and visitors alike (and mercifully quieter and more genuine than some more touristed locations), it provided us both a blessed welcome and a terrific sendoff in this city that seems designed for the pleasures of eating outdoors.