Eat & Drink
CONTACTCAREER OPPORTUNITIESADVERTISE WITH USPRIVACY POLICYPRIVACY PREFERENCESTERMS OF USELEGAL NOTICE
© 2024 Pride Publishing Inc.
All Rights reserved
All Rights reserved
By continuing to use our site, you agree to our Private Policy and Terms of Use.
Fans of Jason Goodwin’s popular Yashim crime novels know that the titular 1830s secret agent does more than just bust up government conspiracies. The guy can cook. Goodwin’s new book, Yashim Cooks Istanbul, highlights the hero’s hobby while helping home chefs unlock another mystery: Turkish cuisine. The globally influenced grub is historic—many of its recipes can be traced back to the Ottoman Empire—but it has started to make inroads stateside, thanks to Goodwin and a few inspired eateries trying to nudge Sultan’s Delight into the mainstream.
Until recently, it was a lonely time for Boston’s Oleana, which has been singing the praises of Turkish food for more than a decade. “It’s a cuisine that straddles East and West,” says chef Ana Sortun. “There are many influences from China, Russia, Armenia, Greece, and the Middle East. The use of spices is what sets it apart from the rest of the Mediterranean.” Fittingly, her elegant menu of grilled meats and fish boasts ingredients like za’atar, cumin, and sumac—the backbone of many Turkish dishes and a new draw for diners.
Other Turkish spots have followed. “Europe already has Turkish restaurants on every corner,” says Washington, D.C., restaurateur Hakan Ilhan, noting that America is playing catch-up. He’s on a mission to change that with his recently opened Ottoman Taverna, which serves traditional fare like pideler (flat bread topped with cheese and ground meat) in a swank setting more in touch with the 21st century than the 14th. Meanwhile, New Yorkers can swap their beloved bagel for a wider, flatter variation called a simit at Simit + Smith—if hummus isn’t your jam, you can even top it with salmon and cream cheese. And Prime Cutts, which opened last year, could very well become the Turkish Chipotle with its fast-casual model and Istanbul-inspired wraps and bowls.
The new wave of Turkish restaurants mostly showcases the cuisine without reinventing it. Still, while it’s doubtful that Yashim ever made anything like Oleana’s cinnamon-spiked aioli, that treat—along with simit with cream cheese and lox — certainly tastes like a classic.
If Turkish cuisine’s American moment has been a long time coming, it’s been totally worth the wait.
Life Beyond Doner—Three more Turkish classics you should be eating:
Adana kebab: Doner is meat sliced off a spit, but you can get this ground-lamb kebab (a popular street food in Turkey) on a skewer fresh off the charcoal grill.
Börek: A crispy pastry shell made of phyllo dough and filled with goodies like feta, spinach, potato, and sometimes minced meat, this old-school Turkish dish dates back to the Roman Empire.
Hunkar Begendi: More commonly known as Sultan’s Delight, it consists of lamb ragout served over an eggplant sauce that’s basically baba ghanoush’s creamier cousin.
Like what you see here? Subscribe and be the first to receive the latest issue of Out. Subscribe to print here and receive a complimentary digital subscription.
From our Sponsors
Most Popular
Ron Amato Retrospective: 75 Gorgeous Images of Queer Men
March 07 2021 12:00 AM
Just in Time for Pride – The 15 Gayest Cities in the World in 2023
April 12 2023 6:47 PM
Turkish Oil Wrestling: Male Bonding at the Kirkpinar Festival
December 20 2022 2:20 PM
The 13 Least Visited National Parks
January 07 2023 5:00 AM
Here are the Best Gay Sex and Male Nudity Scenes in 2022
April 19 2023 5:23 PM
OnlyFans Star Reno Gold on His New Boyfriend and Travel Show
December 16 2022 3:10 PM
Get Soaked! with These 35+ Steamy Pool Pics From This Year’s White Party
May 25 2023 9:29 AM
Slovakian Jocks With Nothing to Hide
September 28 2021 3:00 PM
12 Years of Intimate Photos of Same Man - Taken by His Partner
August 29 2022 4:00 AM
20 Thirsty Pics of #SniffiesRush Campaign Celebrating Frat Life
December 16 2022 3:19 PM
Outtraveler: Featured Video
Latest Stories
NewFest returns to NYC on Thursday with over 140 queer titles for its 36th film festival
October 07 2024 5:39 PM
Asheville heartbreak: Will LGBTQ+ cocktail bar rise from the ruins?
October 04 2024 10:12 AM
Out and About with Sasheer Zamata
October 03 2024 3:08 PM
equalpride CEO Mark Berryhill on LGBTQ+ History
October 01 2024 12:52 PM
Ashland and its Oregon Shakespeare Festival is the Pacific Northwest’s hidden gem
September 27 2024 3:30 PM
Thai king signs marriage equality law
September 26 2024 3:15 PM
Top 15 LGBTQ+ safe spots for travel this fall
September 16 2024 10:53 AM
'Drag Race' star Genie opens up on a spicy bar experience in Thailand that'll leave you INTRIGUED
September 14 2024 6:00 AM
55+ photos of hidden gems at Gay Wine Weekend
September 13 2024 12:41 PM
Pangina Heals wants you to unleash your freak at her BDSM club in Thailand
September 12 2024 2:29 PM
'Drag Race's Laganja Estranja lets us visually eat her new cake after gender-affirming surgery
September 11 2024 12:23 PM
Deep dishin' with Ashlee Marie Preston: touring Echo Park with the acclaimed trans activist
September 10 2024 12:30 PM
15 sensual male portraits from Luke Austin
September 09 2024 1:26 PM
The lineup for Insomniac's Forever Midnight festival is here & your NYE plans are now finalized
September 06 2024 8:06 PM
Sun, surf, culture: discover San Diego
September 06 2024 5:00 AM
The Runway of Dreams Foundation to revolutionize fashion with accessible design at NYFW
September 05 2024 5:48 PM
Cirque du Soleil debuts a dazzling new VIP experience at Mad Apple Las Vegas
September 05 2024 5:00 AM
Explore these solo-friendly resorts and destinations
September 04 2024 11:17 AM