Eating Our Way Through Istanbul, Turkey

On February 16, 2023February 16, 2023 By Isobar ExpeditionsIn Turkey5 Comments

We enjoyed several wonderful meals during our time in Istanbul and even took a food tour where we ate food in both the European and Asian sections of Istanbul. In addition to the food, we also had a local drink called Raki as well as several local beers and wines. One of the most popular dinner choices are the dinners cooked in clay pots over an extremely hot, open fire. They bring the fire pit next to your table and put on quite an extravagant show as they cook your meal and then crack the pot open and pour the contents onto a plate for you to enjoy.

Dinner and a Show

Coffee and tea is also quite popular and we even tried an orange tea made with fresh orange rinds. We love taking food tours as they provide you the opportunity to try many different varieties of dishes, but it is also way more food than the two of us could possibly eat. We started our tour with breakfast, which is not something that we normally eat, but it was a really enjoyable way to start our day. We ended our tour in the shopping district of Istanbul and then took the ferry back to the area near our hotel.

Orange Tea

You will find street carts with stuffed mussels near many of the attractions and in shopping areas and it is definitely worth trying as they are very tasty. Overall, we couldn’t say that one meal was better than another as we found each of them to be completely interesting with unique tastes. What we can say is that the staff at every restaurant where we ate were extremely friendly and very proud of the cuisine that they had to offer. At some point we’ll try to replicate some of the meals that we had, but obviously we’re not going to be cooking in a clay pot over an open flame.

Enjoying the Food of New York City During Our Most Recent Visit

On July 7, 2022July 7, 2022 By Isobar ExpeditionsIn New YorkLeave a comment

There are many cities around the world that are truly food destinations and New York City is definitely one of them. During our most recent visit to Manhattan, we ate at several different restaurants, all with completely different experiences. Whether casual or fine dining, at the end of the day it is all about the food. Of course, the ambiance matters, but if the food doesn’t make you want to come back than it isn’t worth the money that you spend. From pizza and pasta to brunch and even afternoon tea, we had a wonderful variety of food during our short stay in Manhattan.

There was one location that we went to multiple times during our trip, Angelo’s Pizza, partially due to its proximity to our hotel on 57th street as well as the friendly staff who went out of their way to take care of us. There was even one evening where they were closing early, but still let us come in and have a couple of glasses of wine after a long day of walking throughout Manhattan. We had the Antipasto one evening and certainly enjoyed an “Old School Round” Pizza with mushrooms, olives, and Italian sausage. On our last evening in Manhattan, we returned once again to have the Spaghetti Pomodoro. The other Italian dinner was at Pazza Notte where we enjoyed a Caesar Salad followed by Pappardelle di Mare, which is pasta with lobster, crab, shrimp, asparagus, and tomato in a sherry shallot cream sauce.

On our first day in Manhattan, we went to Rue 57 for a quick lunch with a French Dip before heading into Central Park. We had the Pulled Pork Sandwich at the Trinity Place Restaurant and Bar, which is located inside of an old bank vault. Brunch at Jonathon Waxman’s Jams restaurant was definitely another highlight with its walls lined with ivy. We were very happy to return to Pepolino Restorante to have Insalata Dei Medici, which is a beet, carrot, and zucchini salad. We had gone to Pepolino’s during our visit to Manhattan seven years ago. The final place that we ate was at the Russian Tea Room (they were extremely clear that they were very much against the war in Ukraine) where we enjoyed an afternoon tea with sandwiches and sweets. It is a very famous restaurant located next to Carnegie Hall that many people put on their list to visit when spending time in Manhattan.

Pulled Pork at the Trinity Place Restaurant and Bar

All in all, we had so much wonderful food during our short stay and now that we’re located on the east coast, we’re looking forward to going back sometime soon. Regardless of where we travel to, food and drinks are often central to the overall experience. We would definitely recommend any of these restaurants if you have the opportunity to visit Manhattan.

Good Old-Fashioned Pigs in a Blanket at Rue 57

Variety of Sweets to Go with the Champagne and Tea

History on the Walls of European Restaurants

On August 31, 2020August 31, 2020 By Isobar ExpeditionsIn EuropeLeave a comment

One of the things that we enjoy when going to restaurants during our travels is to see artwork depicting the city as it looked back in time. In addition to historic pictures, we also like seeing vintage signs or paintings that are specific to the area. We find that having a relaxing meal while looking at these unique pieces of art that take you back in time is quite fascinating. We have visited restaurants in many different countries that adorn their walls with this kind of artwork, but we especially enjoyed the ones that we saw in Europe. We even took the time to take photographs of the walls while we were at the restaurants because we found them so interesting. The photographs don’t always turn out the best, but they are mostly for our own enjoyment.