from a light sprinkle), the smell of grilled fish wafting by. We started with a bottle of raki, an assortment of cold and hot mezes (the calamari was crisp, feather light and firm, not chewy or doughy). The cold mezes were...

. With an airy loaf of the government’s white bread it soaks up the toxins of too much raki or Efes Pilsen beer, without creating the firey breath and indigestion that comes from late night spicey kofte meatball sandwiches.

bluefish was in season and asked if it was fresh. The waiter took me to the back of the restaurant, showed me the fish swimming in a tub, and asked me which one I wanted. I had the ubiquitous white paynir as an appetizer with the...

umbrella (which protected later from a light sprinkle), the smell of grilled fish wafting by. We started with a bottle of raki, an assortment of cold and hot mezes (the calamari was crisp, feather light, firm not chewy or...

, was very helpful, put together a nice starter plate for us, threw in some extra bread and booze on the house, and the way his eyes lit up just because I ordered a glass of raki was almost worth the YTL21 per head that we took...

Oh yes – Retsina, ouzo or raki...Opa!

Troya (www.troyasf.com) on Clement St. has Beyti as well, although I haven’t tried theirs. I’m glad to see more Turkish places popping up; it’s a fun cuisine. If only some would start serving Raki - I’d...

Ouzo is a greek anise liquor, which packs quite a punch. Similar to Lebanese Araq or Turkish Raki.

licenseand starts serving Raki :) Things might improve... YMMV

Tonic and Ouzo...with salt? Hmmm, not my taste I’m sure. Reminds me of the anise/licorice beverage of choice in Turkey. It’s called "Raki"...pronounced Rocky. Normally a clear liqueur, mix a little water with it and it...

For a casual night out with friends, tapas, and raki I want to go to Beyoglu but I am reading mixed reviews about that place. Half of the people seem to love it, the rest deem it as the biggest diseaster ever. Is it because the...

Ever since I moved to a tiny village with limited food and drink offerings, I’ve had friends bring back raki. (I used to be able to buy in in stores in NYC, but that’s another life sigh.) It’s a pain and not a...

always chose the other poison, raki, which goes well with the spicy kebab dishes. Elections on the other hand... good luck with that. It is going to be noisy and messy.

it cafeteria style Turkish restaurant and half meze style dishes that are usually found t drinking holes (consumed alongside heavy doses of raki and melancholy). It is not fast food, but it is food that is simpler and accessible.

of wine and raki, all tables began singing and dancing along; at midnight there were fireworks from all over the european side. From what I could tell, all the fish places along the Bosphorus put on a similar show, and...