Andy Gavin's Blog, page 22
April 28, 2024
Eating Bodrum – Blue
Restaurant: Blue
Location: Gölköy Mahallesi, 314 Sokak No.10, 48483 Muğla, Türkiye
Date: June 23, 2023
Cuisine: Modern Turkish
Rating: Hotel restaurant — expensive — but tasty
_Beachside “cafe” at The Mandarin Oriental Bodrum.
The menu.
The beach.
Lahmacun. Minced Beef with Fresh Tomatoes & Green Pepper. Crispy thin crust (probably lavash) with a great flavor. Really nice.
Grilled Seabass Sandwich. Tomato, rocket, red onion, fresh herbs, ttartare sauce, ciabatta bread.
Zoom.
Doner pl...
April 25, 2024
Eating Teos Sığacık – Liman
Restaurant: Liman
Location: Sığacık, Atatürk Meydanı No:5, 35460 Seferihisar/İzmir, Türkiye. +90 232 745 70 11
Date: June 22, 2023
Cuisine: Turkish fish restaurant
Rating: Very solid
_A friend of ours who lives in Teos Sığacık (up the coast from where we were staying) setup sinner in this local fish restaurant.
It has a great seaside patio.
And a marina view.
The gang at table.
Lots of mezze again.
And lots of fresh fish.
Yogurt with spinach and almonds.
Seabass in yellow sauce. T...
April 23, 2024
Eating Ephesus – Local Lunch
Restaurant: Local Lunch
Location: somewhere need Ephesus
Date: June 22, 2023
Cuisine: Turkish
Rating: A bit rustic for my taste
_We stopped at this super local place for lunch after visiting the amazing ruins at Ephesus…
Casual outside space. There was a big hall inside but of course no one was in there.
Lots and lots of mezze.
My plate. There wasn’t a lot of meat, just 3-4 stews. I suspect this is quite typical Turkish value eating — and it was actualy fairly good.
April 21, 2024
Eating Kuşadası – Oksa
Restaurant: Oksa
Location: Hacıfeyzullah, Güvercinada Cd. No:15, 09400 Kuşadası/Aydın, Türkiye.
Date: June 21, 2023
Cuisine: Turkish Fish
Rating: Great Fish Restaurant
_Oksa is a classic “fish restaurant.”
Turkish and Greek restaurants have this distinction between “fish” and “meat” places.
Nice seaside seating.
Most traditional Turkish places, and in particular ALL the fish places, have a giant cabinet(s) of mezze to choose from.
Big buffet of mezze to choose from.
And you pick your ...
April 19, 2024
Eating Kuşadası – Old Town Tanneries
Restaurant: Old Town Tanneries
Location: Türkmen, DoubleTree by Hilton Kuşadası Arkası, 09350 Kuşadası/Aydın, Türkiye. +90 543 638 60 60
Date: June 20, 2023
Cuisine: Modern Turkish
Rating: Hotel restaurant, but good
_Old Town Tanneries is a restaurant cluster installed in a group of restored tannery buildings. These were in use from the 1930-60s and have been lovingly restored. They are also part of the Hilton and were restored, owned, and operated by the same lovely people who manage Gio.
The...
April 17, 2024
Eating Izmir – The Bazaar
Restaurant: The Bazaar
Location: Izmir Turkiye
Date: June 20, 2023
Cuisine: Turkish street food
Rating: Hotel restaurant, but good
_This meal consists of food from 3 different places in the Izmir Bazaar.
Pictured here is a Pide restaurant that provided the Cheese Pide below. Most of the savory food came from a homestyle place. The desserts from a third.
The homestyle place showed most of its dishes in casserole dishes for selection. They are then plated and heated. Or perhaps they are warm in...
April 15, 2024
Eating Kuşadası – Gio
Restaurant: Gio
Location: Türkmen, Double TREE Hilton, Atatürk Blv. No:5, 09400 Kuşadası/Aydın, Türkiye. +90 530 957 77 57
Date: June 19, 2023
Cuisine: Modern Turkish
Rating: Hotel restaurant, but good
_On our first night in Kuşadası, within “striking range” of Ephesus, Aphrodisias and more we ate at the gorgeous rooftop restaurant atop the Hilton. P.s. it should be noted that the Aegean was named after Theseus’ father Aegeus.
Gio Rooftop Restaurant offers not only a splendid view of the Aege...
April 13, 2024
Eating Bergama – Babadan
Restaurant: Babadan
Location: Zafer Mah. Ataturk Bulvari No: 24/A, Bergama 35725 Türkiye. +90 232 632 98 98
Date: June 19, 2023
Cuisine: Turkish
Rating: Casual lunch
_After Cappadocia we headed west to the Coast for more ruins — in this case the ancient city of Pergamon.
Touristy but decent spot our guide brought us to in the city of Pergamon (aka modern Bergama). Many Turkish restaurants fall into the broad meat or fish format. This is a typical meat restauant.
They do have a wood fired ove...
April 9, 2024
Eating Cappadocia – Nahita Dinner
Restaurant: Nahita
Location: Tekelli, Kayabaş Sk. No: 23, 50240 Uçhisar/Nevşehir Merkez/Nevşehir, Türkiye. +90 384 219 31 30
Date: June 18, 2023
Cuisine: Turkish
Rating: Upscale traditional
_We returned to Nahita for dinner.
Nahita is the more “traditional” of the two restaurants at the Argos Cappodocia.
Inspired and nourished by its Anatolian roots, respectful of its geography, history, and cultural continuity, Nahita, the new star of Anatolian cuisine, harbors the mindfulness that lacks in t...
April 6, 2024
Eating Cappadocia – Seki
Restaurant: Seki Restaurant & Lounge
Location: Tekelli, Kayabaş Sk. No:23, 50240 Uçhisar/Nevşehir Merkez/Nevşehir, Türkiye. +90 384 219 31 30
Date: June 17, 2023
Cuisine: Modern Turkish
Rating: Hotel restaurant, but good – great view
_Our first dinner in Cappadocia — since we came in during the middle of the night on the night prior.
Seki Restaurant, which takes its name (meaning “terraces on the slopes”) from the lush green terraces of our hotel, has been etched in the minds and taste buds of...
