#Istanbul Doner House

[turkishmartblog]

The Famous Turkish Market – Unique Shopping Experience

Turkish MART is a food mart that has in no time acquired a standing as the top of the line food mart in Canada as the mart has practical experience in offering an extensive variety of Turkish and Mediterranean food items, making it a go-to objective for foodies and admirers of global cooking.

One of the variables that separates Turkish mart from other food marts is its obligation to obtaining top notch items. The mart works with an organization of confided in providers to get new, real fixings, including flavors, spices, cheeses, and meats. This emphasis on quality is reflected in the mart's contributions, which are reliably new, tasty, and of top caliber.

Another key variable adding to Turkish mart's prosperity is its remarkable client support. The staff at Turkish mart are proficient, cordial, and enthusiastic about their items, making it a joy to mart there. They are dependably glad to address questions and give proposals, and they do an amazing job to guarantee that clients are happy with their buys.

Turkish mart has likewise become well known in the nearby local area. It consistently takes part in neighborhood occasions and celebrations, sharing its heavenly food and warm accommodation with the local area. Its contribution locally has assisted with building a dependable following of clients who value the store's obligation to quality and administration.

All in all, Turkish mart has turned into the top of the line food store in Canada for good explanation. With its great items, outstanding client support, and obligation to the local area, it has constructed a standing as an objective for food darlings the nation over. Whether you are searching for genuine Turkish and Mediterranean fixings, or basically need to encounter the warm neighborliness of the store's staff, Turkish mart is a must-visit objective for foodies all over the place.

Turkish Market has quickly become the top-rated food market in Canada and for good explanation. With its emphasis on quality, outstanding client care, and bona-fide Turkish and Mediterranean fixings, it has turned into a go-to objective for foodies and global cooking sweethearts.

The mart's obligation to quality is obvious in the items it offers. Turkish Store sources simply the freshest and most credible fixings from confided in providers, guaranteeing that clients get items that are of the greatest quality. From flavors and spices to cheeses and meats, the store's contributions are reliably new and delightful.

For more, visit - turkishmart.ca

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[uniproperty-blog]

Best 7 restaurants in Istanbul

Istanbul is a cultural hub where enchanting history and contemporary creativity collide. This is showcased perfectly in its restaurant scene. The dining options are infinite in their variety, from classic street carts to mind-blowing rooftop fine dining, a strong cup of Turkish coffee to surprising Turkish wines, a humble simit to perfect meatballs. Vibrant, delicious, bold, hip, yet subtle: Beware, Istanbul can be addictive.so we’ve rounded up the best places to eat in the city.

-Adana Ocakbasi

Tucked away on a side street in the busy Kurtuluş neighborhood, this small, shabby grill was once a hidden gem, but now its reputation has spread all over the city. Adana kebab is its signature dish, served with grilled tomatoes and peppers, thin lavash bread, and onions with sumac. Sip raki and watch the usta (master cook) prepare your order on the charcoal fire as the heat slaps your face. Start with liver cubes on skewers. Come spring, don’t miss the sweetbreads.

Bozkurt Mahallesi, +90 212 247 01 43, Bay Sungur Sk. No:2. 34375 Şişli/İstanbul 

Mikla

Opened in 2005, Mikla is widely regarded as one of the best restaurants Istanbul has to offer. The restaurant is on the roof of The Marmara Pera Hotel. It offers beautiful views of the city and its most treasured buildings, including the Hagia Sophia and the Topkapi Palace. Chef and owner Mehmet Gürs brings his Turkish-Scandinavian background to the fore in the beautiful designed, tantalizing menu. Dishes served include grilled prawns with vegetable firik, chickpea flour, and zucchini blossoms. The restaurant also recently opened its new Anatolian Kitchen, transforming and updating traditional dishes through both contemporary and ancient gastronomic techniques.

The Marmara Pera, +90 212 293 5656, Meşrutiyet Caddesi 15, 34430, Beyoğlu, İstanbul

Hafiz Mustafa 1864

Although Hafiz Mustafa 1864 is not a restaurant, it deserves a mention as a must-visit for all sweet toothed travellers. Internationally renowned for the Turkish desserts it creates, this veteran bakery, candy store and cafe’s history date all the way back to 1864. It was originally opened by Ismail Hakkı Zade as a rock candy shop and it was Ismail’s son Hafız Mustafa who brought true glory to the venue when he invented poğaça (palm size buns with or without filling). Hafiz Mustafa 1864 serves some of the city’s best sweet treats such as delicious Turkish delights, irresistible baklava, sensational halva and much more. There are several branches of Hafiz Mustafa 1864 around Istanbul.

Hafiz Mustafa 1864, +90 212 513 3610, Hobyar Mahallesi Hamidiye Cad. No:84 Bahçekapı Eminönü, 34080 Istanbul

Karadeniz Pide ve Döner Salonu

Don't leave Istanbul without having a proper döner. Karadeniz Pide Doner does right by that big rotating luscious hunk of meat: They serve it thinly cut by with a big döner knife atop their house-made pide bread. You may also order it plain, as a sandwich or in a wrap. Asım Usta starts serving his famous döner around 10.30 a.m. and it hardly lasts into the afternoon. Prepare to wait in line , it's worth it.

Sinanpaşa Mahallesi, +90 212 261 76 93   Mumcu Bakkal Sk. No:6 34353 Beşiktaş/İstanbul

Lades 2

In Turkey, breakfast can be many things: an array of cheeses, eggs cooked with sucuk or pastırma, omelets, or simple hard- or soft-boiled eggs. One of the most beloved breakfast stops in town is Lades 2. All day long the shop serves its famous menemen: eggs, tomatoes, and peppers cooked over immensely high heat. You may add chicken, cheese, or sucuk (Turkish sausage) to taste; you’ll need a lot of bread and tea as well. It’s fast, it’s delicious, and most importantly, it’s a local favorite.

Katip Mustafa Çelebi Mahallesi, +90 212 249 52 08 Sadri Alışık Sk. 34435 Beyoğlu/İstanbul

Hatay Medeniyetler Sofrası

One of the best traditional restaurants in turkey that has hosted several celebrities over the years. A must to visit to enjoy delicious food. in short words it’s the best choice to have a pure Turkish food with great taste. you will never regret although the prices are high, but the taste deserves more Not much English spoken but sign languages and photos will take you anywhere! Definitely go for the salt crusted stuffed chicken. Celebrity photos are all over the place of patrons enjoying their special meter-long kebab. Their meat is awesome, you just enjoy the freshness in every bite, the spices they use is something else!

Katip Mustafa Çelebi Mahallesi, +90 212 2933131 İstiklal Caddesi, No 39, Beyoğlu, İstanbul 

Nusr-Et Steakhouse

Nusr-Et Steakhouse is one of the best steakhouses in Istanbul, Nusr-Et is a Meatlover’s paradise, with a wide selection of delicious meat, such as Lamb T-bone, T-Bone Steak, Lamb Chops, two kinds of meatballs and more. It offers its customers an extraordinary experience and the best quality of the meat. The meat is “mouth-watering” and always perfectly cooked and served on wood. Don’t miss the freshly baked baklava in a pan which they serve stuffed with vanilla ice cream.

Nispetiye Caddesi, +90 212 358 3022 No:87 Etiler, 34337 Beşiktaş

[srockhop]

Istanbul Tourism

I slept well last night so I could have energy for today’s activities. I started with breakfast on the roof terrace of the hotel. Some simple bread, cucumber, cold cuts, potatoes, and eggplant to fortify me.

First up was Hagia Sophia, the former Greek Orthodox church, later an Ottoman imperial mosque, and now a museum. It’s the epitome of Byzantine architecture and the world’s largest building and an engineering marvel of its time, famous in particular for its massive dome. To get to the upper gallery, I had to walk along these paths that kept ascending until you got to the top. There was lots of scaffolding because of the renovation. Lots of masonry, tiles, stained glass, and artifacts in the museum.

Second was Topkapi Palace, once the former home of Ottoman sultans. The complex has four main courtyards and many smaller buildings, one of which housed lots of clocks and timepieces. There were also clothing, weapons like swords, religious relics, illuminated manuscripts, and a harem. It started to rain when I was there, and many people took shelter. I was trying not to slip on all the marble steps.

I had a small chocolate ice cream cone before I had lunch at Dervish Café, one of the numerous cafes that caters to tourists. I ate a beef doner sandwich and shared some of the beef with a friendly cat that sat near me. It was great to relax and watch all the people around me. There was a live tulip carpet installed in Sultanahmet Square. I also walked through the Arasta Bazaar, one of the smaller bazaars.

Third was the Blue Mosque. You can get free scarves to wrap around your head. The line to the main entrance was way too long; so I opted to go in the Prayer Entrance instead. They gave us plastic bags to put our shoes in, and we walked around in our stocking feet. The mosque has five main domes, six minarets, and eight secondary domes. More tiles and stained glass windows.

The Grand Bazaar has 61 covered streets and over 4,000 shops, often regarded as one of the first shopping malls of the world. There is so much here that I am overwhelmed and end up buying nothing.

Early dinner was at Loti Café, where I had grilled shrimp in butter, eggplant kebab, and lamb skewer. I really liked their grilled shrimp with mushrooms in lots of butter. The eggplant had a tough skin, but the inside was delicious. By the time I got to the lamb, I was too full, but it was very good.

[colasipper]

Enjoyed fewer sights and more experiences on my last full day in #istanbul Through one of the new business districts, a suburban diner (and doner institution), and a 16th century hammam/bath house, Istanbul has shown me it's less famous sides. Always worth meeting the working people behind the legend. This #sunset behind the #suleimanmosque across the #goldenarm is a fitting farewell from a city that lives up to its reputation. 🇹🇷 (at Beyoğlu / Taksim, İstanbul) https://www.instagram.com/p/BtwEg_RHjB2/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=uh43ll22ut6

[teknoblogs]

Avsa Island trip with İstanbul Bosphorus tours

Avsa Island, which is frequently preferred by local and foreign tourists for summer holidays, is a good alternative for those who want to spend the weekend due to its proximity to İstanbul Bosphorus tours. Avşa, where night life runs out of breath, has places where everyone can enjoy pleasant moments and activities are carried out. It also fascinates visitors with its natural and historical beauties.

As soon as you set foot in Avşa Island, which has made a name for itself in the world with wine production, you can turn your route to wine factories. You can taste the wines produced in Bortaçina and Büyülübağ factories. Hagios Georgos monastery may be the second leg of your trip. The ruins of the monastery, which has 2 floors and 80 rooms, have survived to the present day.

Seeing the time-defying sycamore tree and drinking a cup of coffee in the shade is one of the activities that those who come to Avsa do not return without doing. Other places you can visit in the region with fine sandy beaches; Mavikoy, Cinaralti Bay and Kumtur İstanbul Bosphorus tours.

Although the island of Avsa is extremely crowded, especially in the summer, it is quite difficult to experience accommodation. As soon as you set foot on the island, travel agencies will compete with each other to become your own guests. You can choose from the dozens of options that best suits your budget and enjoyment. Likewise, hotels, boutique hotels, hostels and rental houses are usually priced to suit visitors' budget.

Although Avsa Island does not have a local flavor, its restaurants are of very high quality. If you wish, you can quickly eat at the fast food restaurants and set off without losing the day. Products such as kumpir, doner, kebab and toast are the most popular foods you can easily find in the restaurants along the coastline. You can also taste fresh seafood in a seafront location.

It is possible to find entertainment suitable for all ages in Avsa Island, which is one of the top places among the holiday resorts where night life flows continuously. For young people and those who are always young, there are places like Tanz Disco, Club Liatris and Avşa Arena where the entertainment doesn't stop until dawn and for those who are looking for a more peaceful and pleasant chat environment, pubs, bars and restaurants especially serve on the coastline İstanbul Bosphorus tours. Raki-fish culture is experienced in a different dimension in Avsa Island as in almost every holiday resort with coastline. For shopping, you can buy souvenirs from small markets where local crafts are exhibited. The works, which are usually occupied by the local people, are presented to the visitors at the stalls. You can buy a piece from Avsa Island for yourself or for your loved ones.

[nurayblr]

Avsa Island trip with İstanbul Bosphorus tours

Avsa Island, which is frequently preferred by local and foreign tourists for summer holidays, is a good alternative for those who want to spend the weekend due to its proximity to İstanbul Bosphorus tours. Avşa, where night life runs out of breath, has places where everyone can enjoy pleasant moments and activities are carried out. It also fascinates visitors with its natural and historical beauties.

As soon as you set foot in Avşa Island, which has made a name for itself in the world with wine production, you can turn your route to wine factories. You can taste the wines produced in Bortaçina and Büyülübağ factories. Hagios Georgos monastery may be the second leg of your trip. The ruins of the monastery, which has 2 floors and 80 rooms, have survived to the present day.

Seeing the time-defying sycamore tree and drinking a cup of coffee in the shade is one of the activities that those who come to Avsa do not return without doing. Other places you can visit in the region with fine sandy beaches; Mavikoy, Cinaralti Bay and Kumtur İstanbul Bosphorus tours.

Although the island of Avsa is extremely crowded, especially in the summer, it is quite difficult to experience accommodation. As soon as you set foot on the island, travel agencies will compete with each other to become your own guests. You can choose from the dozens of options that best suits your budget and enjoyment. Likewise, hotels, boutique hotels, hostels and rental houses are usually priced to suit visitors' budget.

Although Avsa Island does not have a local flavor, its restaurants are of very high quality. If you wish, you can quickly eat at the fast food restaurants and set off without losing the day. Products such as kumpir, doner, kebab and toast are the most popular foods you can easily find in the restaurants along the coastline. You can also taste fresh seafood in a seafront location.

It is possible to find entertainment suitable for all ages in Avsa Island, which is one of the top places among the holiday resorts where night life flows continuously. For young people and those who are always young, there are places like Tanz Disco, Club Liatris and Avşa Arena where the entertainment doesn't stop until dawn and for those who are looking for a more peaceful and pleasant chat environment, pubs, bars and restaurants especially serve on the coastline İstanbul Bosphorus tours. Raki-fish culture is experienced in a different dimension in Avsa Island as in almost every holiday resort with coastline. For shopping, you can buy souvenirs from small markets where local crafts are exhibited. The works, which are usually occupied by the local people, are presented to the visitors at the stalls. You can buy a piece from Avsa Island for yourself or for your loved ones.

[keremulusoy]

The adventurous journey of the commodity goods from the producer to the consumer can be a long distance one where continents and countries must be crossed by caravans or it can be a one where the distance does hold no importance because the commodity goods can be accessed easily by the consumers because they’re produced locally. The places where commodity goods take a break or end their journey become more and more varied from past to present, they appear  as caravansaries built along the routes or as hans and covered bazaars in the cities.

Hans, which are considered the ancestors of today’s shopping malls, bring to mind undoubtfully not only its core meaning “old historical building” but they also make you think of the “history” behind them. However, we can’t simply explain hans which were key elements in the city planning, that developed in parallel with trade in the 15th century merely with history. These places which were shaped after the economic and social structure of the city are addressed by various disciplines such as city planning, architecture, art history, history. It opens the doors for various science fields thanks to its geographical location, architecture, economy, social and cultural impacts and its usage in daily life.  It’s a production and trade center for craft and related trades workers.  In the broader sense, its functions are to store and sell goods, to accommodate tradesmen for a short period of time where they can barter, and to be a place where production and trade activities happen regularly. Hans are two-three story buildings whose yard have shops on, whose floors have rooms where the travellers can rest in and whose ground floors contain places to tether animals. They’re named either after who built them or after the goods traded or the region they’re located in. Hans in the cities correspond to the caravansaries on the long roads. With Ottoman, hans become widespread in many places in the Anatolia.

New Han On the historical peninsula in Istanbul, which moves with the times, there is a district called “Hans’ District”. This district includes Laleli, Beyazıt, Mercan, Kapalıçarşı, Mahmutpaşa ve Tahtakale. Hans can be classified after occupations classifications (e.g: Furriers’ Han, Thread sellers’ Han) Hans, which made history, both continue their existence and maintain their previous business life. There are some hans that are very popular apart from being a trade center. For example, Taşhan in Laleli is where the TV series “Binbir Gece” was shot and  Büyük Yeni Han in Eminönü is where Salkım Hanımın Taneleri and Ezel were shot. The tea house in Büyük Abud Efendi Han in Mahmutpaşa was used during the shootings of movie “Yoksul” in which Kemal Sunal starred. Let’s head to a historical building which is built centuries ago and customize the term “han” which is an important form in the Ottoman-Turkish architecture. Our address is Yeni Han, which is in Tahtakale district, on Hasırcılar Street andwe’re located in the axis of the area from the West exist of Spice Bazaar to Rüstempaşa Mosque. Previously known as Tahmis (where coffee is sold and/or roasted) Han, Emin Han or Hasırcılar Han …

From Stable To A Place Of Business There is a saying “A cup of coffee forms a bond lasting 40 years” and there is no knowing how many bonds have been formed at this place because it was a focal point for coffee in the past. It was the place where the coffee arriving from the East was served to the West. Coffee was initially processed here, roasted, ground, stored and imported to Europe. This is why it’s known as “Tahmis Han”. Initially, it’s meant to be a resting place for traders coming from far away and a shelter (stable) for animals. With the everchanging city life, it changed its functions and became a multi-purpose area. Since it’s located near the harbor, and the population of the city was growing it became a place of business.  Meanwhile, this district where ateliers and shops are located is known as “Venetian District.”

What’s Left After The Fire The building is rectangular shaped and has two courtyards, you can access it via Hasırcılar Street located in the north direction. The main gate is a round stone archway, followed by a tunnel vault which leads to the paved courtyard. The courtyard is surrounded with rooms in the east, west and south directions. In the East and West directions, there are six rooms each in the tunnel vaults and in the south direction, there are again five rooms in the tunnel vault. The corner rooms in the South direction can be accessed via corridors. In the corner where the East and the South meet there is a second courtyard. The building has an alternating wall structure consisting of two rows of bricks and one row of stones. The doors are made of forged iron and the windows are barred and their lids are made of forged iron. All the floors of the rooms are covered with hexagonal bricks which reflects the 18th century. Two story Yeni Han’s foundation was laid at the beginning of the 17th century and was transferred to Kazasker Abdülkadir Efendi Foundation in 1671. It’s upper story got destroyed in the fire. It got severely damaged in the earthquake in 1894. The city hall demolished the parts which pose danger carefully. Although it has been restored after the damages it sustained, only one story managed to survive.

What About, Now? Beta Gıda has undertaken the restoration works and the han was made colorful, lively, up-to-date, modern without losing its historic fabric and spirit. You should definitely try coffee in this renewed place of business filled with coffee smells where there are a courtyard in the middle and rooms left and right. The han welcomes its visitors with a coffee shop on the right of the entrance and in the han there are shops that sell nuts and spices, doner shops and bakery. Pass the Beta Tea rooms, on the other side of the courtyard there are shops that sell turkish delight, chocolate, milk dishes, and pastry. You can visit the roasting furnace at this place which still preserves its historic fabric.

Beta Yeni Han is old and historical yet its inner decoration, counters, tables, and chairs are so modern it that it shows exemplary design features where the old and the new meet without ignoring cultural values. It also sets an example for all the other buildings which managed to survive for centuries and defy time. The previous “head office” of coffee serves its visitors various kind of teas in its modern form making sure their visitors relax and have fun. In short, the place is spacious and the tea is freshly brewed. Hope you visit.

The stone Pblic House Shooting thousand and One Nights

Pervititch Map of 1941

Müller-Wiener Map. The New Public House was the central point of coffee in the past. Therefore, it was called as “Tahmis Han”.

New Beta Han Restored Version

Han Tour

Han Tour

Taşhan Other names include Sipahiler Hanı, Çukurçeşme Hanı, Katırcılar Hanı. It’s located in Laleli. It’s mostly visited by foreign tourists. At this place which has been restored and made modern usually fur or leather clothes, bags are sold.

Zincirli Han It’s in Beyazıt.  It’s different from tens of other hans in the Grand Bazaar. There is a marble fountain located in the middle of it which creates a relaxing and comforting atmosphere for its visitors. This historic building contains jewelry ateliers and is most famous for Şişko Osman Halıcılık which sales valuable and rare carpets.

Sabuncu Han It’s located in Tahtakale. It’s two storeys.It’s famous for paints for hobby requirements. It’s the go-to place of wood painters and art students.

Kuru Kahveci Han As you can guess from its name you can exit the Spice Bazaar and follow the smell of coffee to reach it. This five-story building with a single courtyard was built by the orders of Kahveci İhsan Efendi. There are mostly stationery shops and glassware shops.

Balkapanı Han It’s in Tahtakale. Its history goes back a long time and there are different rumors about it. It’s been rumored that there is a vault built in the byzantine period and an underground tunnel leading to Hagia Sophia. As its name suggests, it’s a sweet han! It’s where honey is stored. It’s two-story building with a wide courtyard. Nowadays, its rooms are used as warehouses or ateliers.

Büyük Yıldız Han It’s from the 18th century. The building in Mahmutpasa is a three-story building with a single courtyard. In the past, this historical place served as a caravansary and mosque and nowadays it mostly contains clothing and haberdashery stores.

Tarihi Kürkçü Han It’s located on the road from Tahtakale to Spice Bazaar where stuff like textiles, home and kitchen appliances and wedding gowns are sold.

Şarkhan It’s known as “Little Tahtakale in Tahtakale” since it’s such a noisy place. You can buy all kinds of souvenirs in bulk here.

Notes

What’s Han? “Han” comes from the Persian word “hane”(home) and is used for commercial buildings where travelers stop over and rest and where the goods are kept safe until they’re given to their owners. The other meaning according to TLA (Turkish Language Association) is multi-story buildings where freelance workers in the cities can rent a room or flat to work. There are two types of hans: Hans for travelers and hans for businesses. Hans for travelers are usually located in Anatolia and in the urban areas. Hans for businesses are located in the city centers.

Why Should We Restore It? By restoring it, the plan is to create a place to organize concerts and cultural activities in accordance with the rich historic fabric and cultural spirit of this place so that tourists interested in history and architecture and people who want to see the old Istanbul could spend quality time. The aim is to makethe business activities in the commercial hinterland which slow down towards evening continue without stopping and to developed different activities in Eminönü regarding business and tourisn.

  By: Burçak Ö. Doğan / Photo : Sevgi Ödemiş

*This article was  published in the  July–August issue of Marmara Life. 

    A Special Place Where The Old and The New Meet: Beta Yeni Han The adventurous journey of the commodity goods from the producer to the consumer can be a long distance one where continents and countries must be crossed by caravans or it can be a one where the distance does hold no importance because the commodity goods can be accessed easily by the consumers because they’re produced locally.

[atravellingfoodie]

On this Istanbul Old City food tour we discovered hidden gems, small restaurants and food carts, a stones throw away from the main tourist areas.

If you are planning a trip to Istanbul then my Istanbul Travel Guide and the Top Travel Tips for any traveller are invaluable.

I love taking a food tour on my first full day in any city as it allows me to learn about the history of the area visited as well as becoming acquainted with the eateries loved by locals. This Istanbul Old City street food tour was the first that I went on with my brother and Simone, during a family trip to Istanbul. Neither had ever been on a food tour and I wanted them to experience the amazing food as well as the often overlooked areas of the Old City.

I had been on the Backstreets of the Bazaar Quarter and the Born on the Bosphorus food tours as well as the Shop, Cook, Feast cooking class with Cookistan on my previous solo trip to Istanbul. The two remaining available and alcohol free tours were the Culinary Secrets of the Old City and Hidden Beyoğlu tours, with one in the Old City and the other in Cihangir and the streets behind Istiklal Street in Beyoğlu.

Since we would be staying in both areas during the trip it seemed like a good idea to know where to find the best foods in those areas.

RESERVATION

I booked and paid for the Culinary Secrets of the Old City Istanbul food tour on the Culinary Backstreets website. The tour lasts for approximately 5-5.5 hours and cost US$ 125 per person at the time of booking. I received a 10 percent “Welcome Back! Discount” since I had booked food tours with them previously.

LOCATION

The meeting place for the Culinary Secrets of the Old City food tour was in front of the Hamdi restaurant in the trading area adjacent to the Spice Bazaar. We were staying in Sirkeci at the Doubletree by Hilton and took the tram from Gülhane Park to Eminönü.

This Istanbul walking tour would be covering an area between the Spice Bazaar and a Kurdish neighborhood near the Valens aqueduct. It was slightly overcast but pleasantly warm for September and we looked forward to seeing the Old City from a new perspective.

To get an idea of the area or to check rates and availability for accommodation in the Old City, you may use the map below. Booking.com (function(d, sc, u) { var s = d.createElement(sc), p = d.getElementsByTagName(sc)[0]; s.type = 'text/javascript'; s.async = true; s.src = u + '?v=' + (+new Date()); p.parentNode.insertBefore(s,p); })(document, 'script', '//aff.bstatic.com/static/affiliate_base/js/flexiproduct.js');

TOUR HIGHLIGHTS

Our friendly tour leader Gonça, was also a knowledgeable and engaging Istanbul food guide and promised to share the culinary secrets of the Old City. She showed us the best non-touristy places to eat and shop at on our walk. These were all places that sold authentic products that Istanbulites came from all across the city to buy.

We started by visiting a Simit and Açma cart near the entrance to the underpass for the Eminönü tram station. The same man has operated the cart for more than thirty years and he had a quiet dignity about him.

After buying simit from him we proceeded to the market stalls in the lanes around the Spice Bazaar. Gonça pointed out a few of the stores where tour participants could purchase Turkish coffee beans and coffee equipment later. She also gave us some pointers about what to look for when buying the Turkish coffee pot called cezve.

Turkish breakfast at the Tea shop

We stopped at a deli cart in front of the Han where we were having breakfast and Gonça picked up a few items for the breakfast. In addition to simit, the breakfast included kaymak (Turkish buffalo milk clotted cream), honey, olives, cheese, pastrami, chili paste and a salad made from greens from her garden. The kaymak from the cart was creamy and a delight with lashings of honey and hunks of simit. There were also copious amounts of tea throughout the meal and it was finished with Turkish coffee.

I watched my brother put some kaymak and honey on a piece of simit and then for the next bite he also added a dash of the chili paste. I had done exactly the same thing on my first tour two years previously, and the walk leader on that tour nearly had an apoplectic fit. Apparently I was ruining the perfect combination of kaymak and honey, but for me it was actually enhanced by the savoriness of the chili paste.

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We walked through the Traders Hans passing shops and stalls selling fragrant spices, dried fruits and nuts as well as textiles. I could not help but capture the gloriously vibrant colors of the dried summer vegetables and the fresh ripe figs.

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Lezzet i Sark – Rüstem Paşa Mahallesi, Hasırcılar Cd. No:38, 34116 Fatih

Our next stop was at a corner cafe that was renowned for Ezo Gelin Çorba a warming lentil and bulgur soup from Gaziantep. Gaziantep is an Anatolian city fondly referred to by locals as the food capital of the world. The cuisine is varied and the main driving force behind their local economy.

Although it sounds strange to eat soup early in the morning it was quite welcome and also nourishing and delicious.

Osmanlı Kebapçısı – Rüstem Paşa Mahallesi, 34116 Fatih/Istanbul, Turkey

After the soup we walked through the Hans and the backstreets to reach a kebab house where the speciality was Cağ kebabı, horizontally spit roasted meat that is thinly sliced and served with herbs wrap style in an almost translucent flatbread.

The lamb was perfectly cooked and seasoned and every mouthful was a delight under the ancient tree.

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Osmanli Balikcisi – Rüstem Paşa Mahallesi, Uzun Çarşı No:232, 34116 Fatih

The next stop is renowned for their fish and seafood and we had the house speciality, fried anchovies with pickled chili peppers and salad leaves. We also had a taste of Turkish kibbeh, their take on the popular Levantine dish of minced meat stuffed inside a shell of finely ground bulgur wheat. I quite enjoyed the flavor of the kibbeh which was a bit more tomatoey and spicy than the Levantine original.

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Mavi Haliç Pide Salonu – Sarıdemir Mahallesi, Kutucular Cd. No:28, 34134 Fatih

We walked further along the backstreets to reach a pide shop that we returned to later that week on our final shopping trip. The verdict was unanimous: great service and the best pide we had tasted thus far. We washed down the egg and meat pide with a tall glass of cold ayran.

The pide was so good that we went back there a few days later on our final shopping trip.

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Altan Şekerleme – Demirtaş Mh.kıble Çeşme Cad./no.68 Kantarcılar, 34134 Fatih

Our next stop was a bit of walk from the pide shop and located past the area where they sold safes. Altan Confectionery is a family sweet shop that has been trading since 1865, selling traditional Turkish hard sweets and lokum (Turkish Delight). The owner Mustafa recommended his favorites and let us taste a variety. The lokum was fragrant and freshly made, chewy and not overly sweet, and we ended up purchasing a few types to snack on during the rest of our trip.

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Bereket Döner – Rüstem Paşa Mahallesi, Mahkeme Sk. No:240, 34116 Fatih

On the way to our next stop we dropped by a Han where the older gents were taking tea and watching younger metalsmiths at work. The doner was cheap, flavorful but not too filling.

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Vefa Bozacisi – Mollahüsrev Mahallesi, Vefa Cd. No:66, 34134 Fatih

On the walk to the next stop our tour leader warned us that the drink we were going to taste was much beloved by Turks but an acquired taste for many. The beverage called Boza, is made of millet semolina fermented with water and sugar. The light beige color liquid is specific to this brand of Boza and results from their specific technique. This shop is still owned by the same family whose ancestor founded the business in 1870 after immigrating from Albania.

I must confess that it will take a while for me to acquire a taste for boza. The mouth feel was viscous and thick and I found it difficult to sip or savor. After the first taste I gulped it down, trying to not let it touch my taste buds and then cleansed my palate with a homemade lemonade.

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We had quite a walk to the final stop and stopped by the Süleymaniye mosque on the way. It was after the time for the congregational prayer time so we had it all to ourselves.

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Siirt Şeref Büryan Kebap Salonu – Zeyrek Mh., İtfaiye Cd. No:4, 34083 Fatih

This restaurant is located in the Kurdish precinct next to the Valens Aqueduct. It is another Istanbul business that has been operational for more than a hundred years. The first branch was established in 1892 and it has now expanded to four branches.

They specialize in traditional food from the area of Siirt, in the Kurdish region of Southeastern Turkey.

Our lunch consisted of roasted lamb with salad and dessert and because it is so sought after had to be ordered two days in advance. This lamb is the speciality of the house and is cooked underground in a special copper cooker.

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We were so full by the end of the tour that we decided to walk down to the Aksaray tram station and get back to the hotel from there.

Verdict

This food walk made me realize how important it is to keep small family owned businesses operating. They are the keepers of the traditions and preservers of the food culture and have been perfecting their trade for generations. We tasted well known Turkish favorites like simit, pide and doner as well as lesser known specialities like the Cağ kebabı, boza and the underground roasted lamb. We loved this tour and were excited about the next one.

Help me to provide you with more travel tips and experiences by sharing these posts with your family and friends, and please remember to like and comment if you enjoyed this post.

Keep in touch on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest and Instagram for more updates. Don’t forget to #tantalisemytastebuds if you repost from our account on Instagram!

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    Istanbul food tour – Culinary Secrets of the Old City On this Istanbul Old City food tour we discovered hidden gems, small restaurants and food carts, a stones throw away from the main tourist areas.

[kgbinwanderland]

After a lovely trip to Rome and Florence, we found ourselves in between Europe and Asia, right in the heart of Istanbul, Turkey. A stop-over, courtesy of Turkish Airlines, gave us 72 hours to explore the beauty, culture and food of one of the world’s top travel destinations.

We arranged an airport pick-up service with our chosen accommodation for the next three days, White House Hotel Istanbul. Service is A-plus at this charming boutique hotel and its location right at the Sultanahmet District makes it the perfect starting point of our Istanbul walking tour.

We had lunch at a random restaurant on the main road (where the Tram Line 1 goes through) of the Sultanahmet District. No trip to Turkey is complete without trying an authentic Lamb Doner. And let me just say, it’s nothing like what I had tasted back home, it was better!

After lunch, we decided to walk around the Sultanahmet District, enjoying the nice fall weather. Since it’s still early in the afternoon, we went ahead to visit the Hagia Sophia (Ayasofya).

Hagia Sophia

Address: Sultan Ahmet Mahallesi, Ayasofya Meydanı, 34122 Fatih/İstanbul, Turkey Operating Hours: 7 days a week, Summer (Apr 15-Oct 30) 09:00 – 19:00 / Winter (Oct 30-Apr 15) 09:00 – 17:00 Entrance Fee: 40 Turkish Lira

Istanbul’s most iconic landmark, the Hagia Sophia was the biggest church built by the East Roman Empire in Istanbul.[irp posts=”253″ name=”Hotel Review: White House Hotel Istanbul”]

It was once a Greek Orthodox Christian Church, then a Mosque. It now stands as a museum and is currently Istanbul’s most visited tourist attraction.

We spent a good hour marveling at the beauty of Hagia Sophia’s interiors. 

Let the photos speak for themselves.

There is also access to the Upper Gallery of the Hagia Sophia and from here you can enjoy a nice view of the Bosphorus river.

The Comnenus Mosaic (1192) is located in the eastern wall of the south gallery. We see here the Virgin here, holding Christ on her lap. On her right side is Emperor John II Comnenus and Empress Irene on the left.

The Empress Zoe Mosaic (11th century) is also on the eastern wall of the south gallery. Christ Pantocrator is in the middle and with him are Constantine IX Monomachus and Empress Zoe.

Views from the upper gallery are even more magnificent!

After our visit, we went out to enjoy the rest of the afternoon at the park. We skipped the Blue Mosque today and instead opted to visit it along with the other tourist attractions the following day.

If you are wondering where is the most ideal location to stay at when in Istanbul, my suggestion is to choose any of the hotels in the Sultanahmet District. We were so happy with the location of our hotel because it’s within walking distance of most of Istanbul’s must-see sights! It is also pretty close to the Sultanahmet station of the Tram Line 1 which made it very convenient for us to go around Istanbul if we want to.

Another plus is that there are plenty of restaurants and cafes in the area, you’ll never run out of options on where to eat. Just please avoid the fast food joints. Unfortunately, the quality and service of these international fast food chains in Istanbul were the worst I’ve experienced ever. Eating at a local restaurant will give you a thousand times better experience. Anyway, authentic Turkish food is so delicious, usually generous-serving size and it’s also very reasonably priced! Eat that instead!

Since the night is young and we want to make the most out of our 72 hours, we took the tram and headed to Istiklal Avenue, Istanbul’s prime shopping street. We spent a good hour walking along the busy street and just enjoying the nice, cool weather.

We stopped by at a local restaurant and ate some doner (again!) and kumpir (baked potato). Basically, you can choose any topping you want for your kumpir, such as corn, olives, salad, etc. There’re about 20 different toppings you can choose from! 

It’s only been one day and yet I am completely mesmerized by Istanbul’s beauty!

Please check back soon for more of my stories about Istanbul!

Helpful Links:

Ayasofya (Hagia Sophia) Official Website Istanbul One-day Sightseeing Tour

        Istanbul Travel: Inside the Hagia Sophia After a lovely trip to Rome and Florence, we found ourselves in between Europe and Asia, right in the heart of Istanbul, Turkey.

[watsonrodriquezie]

Weekend Link Love – Edition 446

RESEARCH OF THE WEEK

Marathons are hard on the kidneys.

Chimps hear music but they don’t hear it, man.

Heart disease patients who were intolerant to statins had more cardiovascular events than those taking statins, but they also lived longer.

The house mouse is at least 15,000 years old.

Daily tea may protect against cognitive decline.

NEW PRIMAL BLUEPRINT PODCASTS

Episode 162: Dave Asprey: Host Elle Russ chats with The Bulletproof Exec himself, Dave Asprey, about his new book, Head Strong, which helps people boost cognitive function, optimize brain health, and eliminate the dietary and environmental triggers bringing us down.

INTERESTING BLOG POSTS

What’s unsafe for your pets to eat? Here’s the real list.

Genetic links between Indians and Latin Americans.

Suicide risk assessments might increase the risk of suicide.

MEDIA, SCHMEDIA

Here’s what happened when three people measured their individual glucose responses to different foods.

McDonald’s switches to fresh beef in their quarter pounders.

EVERYTHING ELSE

Next time you’re in Istanbul, you may be able to work off some of that doner kebab by trampolining and rope-swining your way through a city park.

A descent into India’s strange, beautiful step-wells.

How shame retards personal development, plus other notes on mindfulness and self-judgment.

Prince George is attending a nursery school where having a best friend—an essential aspect of human development—is banned.

Patients are increasingly opting to stay awake during surgery.

Ice skating, meet hiking.

THINGS I’M UP TO AND INTERESTED IN

True crime story I liked: How the Iceman was killed.

Study I found interesting: Physicians who spend more money on patient care do not produce better outcomes.

Article I’m pondering: Where Zika is most likely to hit the continental United States.

Product I want to try but probably shouldn’t: Black Insomnia Coffee, sporting the highest caffeine levels ever recorded.

Miscellaneous news I enjoyed: Dinosaur descendent attacks New Jersey family, plunging headfirst through the windshield.

RECIPE CORNER

Simple Greek-style meatballs are a breeze to make.

Got an Instant Pot? Make this hurried lamb curry.

TIME CAPSULE

One year ago (Apr 2– Apr 8)

How to Get Organized and Stay Focused in a Modern World – There’s a lot of chaff vying for your attention. How to avoid it and focus on what matters.

15 Reasons Not to Trust That Latest Nutritional Study – How to watch for spotty research.

COMMENT OF THE WEEK

“I have worked in pharmaceutical safety for six years, and am involved in clinical trials every day. The following is my personal opinion and does not necessarily reflect the opinion of my employer.

I’d just like to clarify the point about study discontinuation, since Mark points this out as a key smoking gun here. Many drugs are now tested for so called MACE (major adverse cardiac events) events – this is particularly true with diabetes drugs but is often seen with other classes including CV drugs. This really became more common after Avandia and the discovery of unintended CV events. Cardiovascular outcomes trials are almost always results-based and do not have well-defined timelines. That is, they go until they reach enough MACE events to draw statistical significance, then stop. Drug companies will have some idea of how long this should take, based on their knowledge of patients with this disease. Without seeing the protocol I don’t know about the timelines here, but I would expect that they reached their endpoints early. Clinical trials are massively expensive and companies aren’t going to keep running a trial once they get to a level where data is statistically significant.

Ending a study early doesn’t necessarily indicate poor outcomes related to study drug. It could mean that they have reached the designated number of endpoints in the control group. More importantly, it could actually indicate that their treatment is so effective that it’s unethical to keep giving patients a placebo or comparator. This happened with a cancer drug that I was working on – it was so clear that the drug was extending lives that FDA didn’t feel it was ethical to withhold the treatment from the other group. I doubt that’s what happened here, but it does happen and ending a study early isn’t damning on its own. In fact, Amgen is about to enroll on a long term, open label extension of this study to examine potential adverse events, so I highly doubt that this was stopped early due to safety concerns.

Otherwise, I agree with you that it didn’t improve mortality and therefore is not a huge deal. Wall Street also agreed, and Amgen stock took a hit, even with positive results.”

– Important insight from an insider. Thank, wildrover.

[cristinajourdanqp]

Weekend Link Love – Edition 446

RESEARCH OF THE WEEK

Marathons are hard on the kidneys.

Chimps hear music but they don’t hear it, man.

Heart disease patients who were intolerant to statins had more cardiovascular events than those taking statins, but they also lived longer.

The house mouse is at least 15,000 years old.

Daily tea may protect against cognitive decline.

NEW PRIMAL BLUEPRINT PODCASTS

Episode 162: Dave Asprey: Host Elle Russ chats with The Bulletproof Exec himself, Dave Asprey, about his new book, Head Strong, which helps people boost cognitive function, optimize brain health, and eliminate the dietary and environmental triggers bringing us down.

INTERESTING BLOG POSTS

What’s unsafe for your pets to eat? Here’s the real list.

Genetic links between Indians and Latin Americans.

Suicide risk assessments might increase the risk of suicide.

MEDIA, SCHMEDIA

Here’s what happened when three people measured their individual glucose responses to different foods.

McDonald’s switches to fresh beef in their quarter pounders.

EVERYTHING ELSE

Next time you’re in Istanbul, you may be able to work off some of that doner kebab by trampolining and rope-swining your way through a city park.

A descent into India’s strange, beautiful step-wells.

How shame retards personal development, plus other notes on mindfulness and self-judgment.

Prince George is attending a nursery school where having a best friend—an essential aspect of human development—is banned.

Patients are increasingly opting to stay awake during surgery.

Ice skating, meet hiking.

THINGS I’M UP TO AND INTERESTED IN

True crime story I liked: How the Iceman was killed.

Study I found interesting: Physicians who spend more money on patient care do not produce better outcomes.

Article I’m pondering: Where Zika is most likely to hit the continental United States.

Product I want to try but probably shouldn’t: Black Insomnia Coffee, sporting the highest caffeine levels ever recorded.

Miscellaneous news I enjoyed: Dinosaur descendent attacks New Jersey family, plunging headfirst through the windshield.

RECIPE CORNER

Simple Greek-style meatballs are a breeze to make.

Got an Instant Pot? Make this hurried lamb curry.

TIME CAPSULE

One year ago (Apr 2– Apr 8)

How to Get Organized and Stay Focused in a Modern World – There’s a lot of chaff vying for your attention. How to avoid it and focus on what matters.

15 Reasons Not to Trust That Latest Nutritional Study – How to watch for spotty research.

COMMENT OF THE WEEK

“I have worked in pharmaceutical safety for six years, and am involved in clinical trials every day. The following is my personal opinion and does not necessarily reflect the opinion of my employer.

I’d just like to clarify the point about study discontinuation, since Mark points this out as a key smoking gun here. Many drugs are now tested for so called MACE (major adverse cardiac events) events – this is particularly true with diabetes drugs but is often seen with other classes including CV drugs. This really became more common after Avandia and the discovery of unintended CV events. Cardiovascular outcomes trials are almost always results-based and do not have well-defined timelines. That is, they go until they reach enough MACE events to draw statistical significance, then stop. Drug companies will have some idea of how long this should take, based on their knowledge of patients with this disease. Without seeing the protocol I don’t know about the timelines here, but I would expect that they reached their endpoints early. Clinical trials are massively expensive and companies aren’t going to keep running a trial once they get to a level where data is statistically significant.

Ending a study early doesn’t necessarily indicate poor outcomes related to study drug. It could mean that they have reached the designated number of endpoints in the control group. More importantly, it could actually indicate that their treatment is so effective that it’s unethical to keep giving patients a placebo or comparator. This happened with a cancer drug that I was working on – it was so clear that the drug was extending lives that FDA didn’t feel it was ethical to withhold the treatment from the other group. I doubt that’s what happened here, but it does happen and ending a study early isn’t damning on its own. In fact, Amgen is about to enroll on a long term, open label extension of this study to examine potential adverse events, so I highly doubt that this was stopped early due to safety concerns.

Otherwise, I agree with you that it didn’t improve mortality and therefore is not a huge deal. Wall Street also agreed, and Amgen stock took a hit, even with positive results.”

– Important insight from an insider. Thank, wildrover.

[milenasanchezmk]

Weekend Link Love – Edition 446

RESEARCH OF THE WEEK

Marathons are hard on the kidneys.

Chimps hear music but they don’t hear it, man.

Heart disease patients who were intolerant to statins had more cardiovascular events than those taking statins, but they also lived longer.

The house mouse is at least 15,000 years old.

Daily tea may protect against cognitive decline.

NEW PRIMAL BLUEPRINT PODCASTS

Episode 162: Dave Asprey: Host Elle Russ chats with The Bulletproof Exec himself, Dave Asprey, about his new book, Head Strong, which helps people boost cognitive function, optimize brain health, and eliminate the dietary and environmental triggers bringing us down.

INTERESTING BLOG POSTS

What’s unsafe for your pets to eat? Here’s the real list.

Genetic links between Indians and Latin Americans.

Suicide risk assessments might increase the risk of suicide.

MEDIA, SCHMEDIA

Here’s what happened when three people measured their individual glucose responses to different foods.

McDonald’s switches to fresh beef in their quarter pounders.

EVERYTHING ELSE

Next time you’re in Istanbul, you may be able to work off some of that doner kebab by trampolining and rope-swining your way through a city park.

A descent into India’s strange, beautiful step-wells.

How shame retards personal development, plus other notes on mindfulness and self-judgment.

Prince George is attending a nursery school where having a best friend—an essential aspect of human development—is banned.

Patients are increasingly opting to stay awake during surgery.

Ice skating, meet hiking.

THINGS I’M UP TO AND INTERESTED IN

True crime story I liked: How the Iceman was killed.

Study I found interesting: Physicians who spend more money on patient care do not produce better outcomes.

Article I’m pondering: Where Zika is most likely to hit the continental United States.

Product I want to try but probably shouldn’t: Black Insomnia Coffee, sporting the highest caffeine levels ever recorded.

Miscellaneous news I enjoyed: Dinosaur descendent attacks New Jersey family, plunging headfirst through the windshield.

RECIPE CORNER

Simple Greek-style meatballs are a breeze to make.

Got an Instant Pot? Make this hurried lamb curry.

TIME CAPSULE

One year ago (Apr 2– Apr 8)

How to Get Organized and Stay Focused in a Modern World – There’s a lot of chaff vying for your attention. How to avoid it and focus on what matters.

15 Reasons Not to Trust That Latest Nutritional Study – How to watch for spotty research.

COMMENT OF THE WEEK

“I have worked in pharmaceutical safety for six years, and am involved in clinical trials every day. The following is my personal opinion and does not necessarily reflect the opinion of my employer.

I’d just like to clarify the point about study discontinuation, since Mark points this out as a key smoking gun here. Many drugs are now tested for so called MACE (major adverse cardiac events) events – this is particularly true with diabetes drugs but is often seen with other classes including CV drugs. This really became more common after Avandia and the discovery of unintended CV events. Cardiovascular outcomes trials are almost always results-based and do not have well-defined timelines. That is, they go until they reach enough MACE events to draw statistical significance, then stop. Drug companies will have some idea of how long this should take, based on their knowledge of patients with this disease. Without seeing the protocol I don’t know about the timelines here, but I would expect that they reached their endpoints early. Clinical trials are massively expensive and companies aren’t going to keep running a trial once they get to a level where data is statistically significant.

Ending a study early doesn’t necessarily indicate poor outcomes related to study drug. It could mean that they have reached the designated number of endpoints in the control group. More importantly, it could actually indicate that their treatment is so effective that it’s unethical to keep giving patients a placebo or comparator. This happened with a cancer drug that I was working on – it was so clear that the drug was extending lives that FDA didn’t feel it was ethical to withhold the treatment from the other group. I doubt that’s what happened here, but it does happen and ending a study early isn’t damning on its own. In fact, Amgen is about to enroll on a long term, open label extension of this study to examine potential adverse events, so I highly doubt that this was stopped early due to safety concerns.

Otherwise, I agree with you that it didn’t improve mortality and therefore is not a huge deal. Wall Street also agreed, and Amgen stock took a hit, even with positive results.”

– Important insight from an insider. Thank, wildrover.

[fishermariawo]

Weekend Link Love – Edition 446

RESEARCH OF THE WEEK

Marathons are hard on the kidneys.

Chimps hear music but they don’t hear it, man.

Heart disease patients who were intolerant to statins had more cardiovascular events than those taking statins, but they also lived longer.

The house mouse is at least 15,000 years old.

Daily tea may protect against cognitive decline.

NEW PRIMAL BLUEPRINT PODCASTS

Episode 162: Dave Asprey: Host Elle Russ chats with The Bulletproof Exec himself, Dave Asprey, about his new book, Head Strong, which helps people boost cognitive function, optimize brain health, and eliminate the dietary and environmental triggers bringing us down.

INTERESTING BLOG POSTS

What’s unsafe for your pets to eat? Here’s the real list.

Genetic links between Indians and Latin Americans.

Suicide risk assessments might increase the risk of suicide.

MEDIA, SCHMEDIA

Here’s what happened when three people measured their individual glucose responses to different foods.

McDonald’s switches to fresh beef in their quarter pounders.

EVERYTHING ELSE

Next time you’re in Istanbul, you may be able to work off some of that doner kebab by trampolining and rope-swining your way through a city park.

A descent into India’s strange, beautiful step-wells.

How shame retards personal development, plus other notes on mindfulness and self-judgment.

Prince George is attending a nursery school where having a best friend—an essential aspect of human development—is banned.

Patients are increasingly opting to stay awake during surgery.

Ice skating, meet hiking.

THINGS I’M UP TO AND INTERESTED IN

True crime story I liked: How the Iceman was killed.

Study I found interesting: Physicians who spend more money on patient care do not produce better outcomes.

Article I’m pondering: Where Zika is most likely to hit the continental United States.

Product I want to try but probably shouldn’t: Black Insomnia Coffee, sporting the highest caffeine levels ever recorded.

Miscellaneous news I enjoyed: Dinosaur descendent attacks New Jersey family, plunging headfirst through the windshield.

RECIPE CORNER

Simple Greek-style meatballs are a breeze to make.

Got an Instant Pot? Make this hurried lamb curry.

TIME CAPSULE

One year ago (Apr 2– Apr 8)

How to Get Organized and Stay Focused in a Modern World – There’s a lot of chaff vying for your attention. How to avoid it and focus on what matters.

15 Reasons Not to Trust That Latest Nutritional Study – How to watch for spotty research.

COMMENT OF THE WEEK

“I have worked in pharmaceutical safety for six years, and am involved in clinical trials every day. The following is my personal opinion and does not necessarily reflect the opinion of my employer.

I’d just like to clarify the point about study discontinuation, since Mark points this out as a key smoking gun here. Many drugs are now tested for so called MACE (major adverse cardiac events) events – this is particularly true with diabetes drugs but is often seen with other classes including CV drugs. This really became more common after Avandia and the discovery of unintended CV events. Cardiovascular outcomes trials are almost always results-based and do not have well-defined timelines. That is, they go until they reach enough MACE events to draw statistical significance, then stop. Drug companies will have some idea of how long this should take, based on their knowledge of patients with this disease. Without seeing the protocol I don’t know about the timelines here, but I would expect that they reached their endpoints early. Clinical trials are massively expensive and companies aren’t going to keep running a trial once they get to a level where data is statistically significant.

Ending a study early doesn’t necessarily indicate poor outcomes related to study drug. It could mean that they have reached the designated number of endpoints in the control group. More importantly, it could actually indicate that their treatment is so effective that it’s unethical to keep giving patients a placebo or comparator. This happened with a cancer drug that I was working on – it was so clear that the drug was extending lives that FDA didn’t feel it was ethical to withhold the treatment from the other group. I doubt that’s what happened here, but it does happen and ending a study early isn’t damning on its own. In fact, Amgen is about to enroll on a long term, open label extension of this study to examine potential adverse events, so I highly doubt that this was stopped early due to safety concerns.

Otherwise, I agree with you that it didn’t improve mortality and therefore is not a huge deal. Wall Street also agreed, and Amgen stock took a hit, even with positive results.”

– Important insight from an insider. Thank, wildrover.

[sportsandfitnessinfo]

New Post has been published on http://fitnessandhealthpros.com/fitness/weekend-link-love-edition-446/

Weekend Link Love – Edition 446

RESEARCH OF THE WEEK

Marathons are hard on the kidneys.

Chimps hear music but they don’t hear it, man.

Heart disease patients who were intolerant to statins had more cardiovascular events than those taking statins, but they also lived longer.

The house mouse is at least 15,000 years old.

Daily tea may protect against cognitive decline.

NEW PRIMAL BLUEPRINT PODCASTS

Episode 162: Dave Asprey: Host Elle Russ chats with The Bulletproof Exec himself, Dave Asprey, about his new book, Head Strong, which helps people boost cognitive function, optimize brain health, and eliminate the dietary and environmental triggers bringing us down.

INTERESTING BLOG POSTS

What’s unsafe for your pets to eat? Here’s the real list.

Genetic links between Indians and Latin Americans.

Suicide risk assessments might increase the risk of suicide.

MEDIA, SCHMEDIA

Here’s what happened when three people measured their individual glucose responses to different foods.

McDonald’s switches to fresh beef in their quarter pounders.

EVERYTHING ELSE

Next time you’re in Istanbul, you may be able to work off some of that doner kebab by trampolining and rope-swining your way through a city park.

A descent into India’s strange, beautiful step-wells.

How shame retards personal development, plus other notes on mindfulness and self-judgment.

Prince George is attending a nursery school where having a best friend—an essential aspect of human development—is banned.

Patients are increasingly opting to stay awake during surgery.

Ice skating, meet hiking.

THINGS I’M UP TO AND INTERESTED IN

True crime story I liked: How the Iceman was killed.

Study I found interesting: Physicians who spend more money on patient care do not produce better outcomes.

Article I’m pondering: Where Zika is most likely to hit the continental United States.

Product I want to try but probably shouldn’t: Black Insomnia Coffee, sporting the highest caffeine levels ever recorded.

Miscellaneous news I enjoyed: Dinosaur descendent attacks New Jersey family, plunging headfirst through the windshield.

RECIPE CORNER

TIME CAPSULE

One year ago (Apr 2– Apr 8)

COMMENT OF THE WEEK

“I have worked in pharmaceutical safety for six years, and am involved in clinical trials every day. The following is my personal opinion and does not necessarily reflect the opinion of my employer.

I’d just like to clarify the point about study discontinuation, since Mark points this out as a key smoking gun here. Many drugs are now tested for so called MACE (major adverse cardiac events) events – this is particularly true with diabetes drugs but is often seen with other classes including CV drugs. This really became more common after Avandia and the discovery of unintended CV events. Cardiovascular outcomes trials are almost always results-based and do not have well-defined timelines. That is, they go until they reach enough MACE events to draw statistical significance, then stop. Drug companies will have some idea of how long this should take, based on their knowledge of patients with this disease. Without seeing the protocol I don’t know about the timelines here, but I would expect that they reached their endpoints early. Clinical trials are massively expensive and companies aren’t going to keep running a trial once they get to a level where data is statistically significant.

Ending a study early doesn’t necessarily indicate poor outcomes related to study drug. It could mean that they have reached the designated number of endpoints in the control group. More importantly, it could actually indicate that their treatment is so effective that it’s unethical to keep giving patients a placebo or comparator. This happened with a cancer drug that I was working on – it was so clear that the drug was extending lives that FDA didn’t feel it was ethical to withhold the treatment from the other group. I doubt that’s what happened here, but it does happen and ending a study early isn’t damning on its own. In fact, Amgen is about to enroll on a long term, open label extension of this study to examine potential adverse events, so I highly doubt that this was stopped early due to safety concerns.

Otherwise, I agree with you that it didn’t improve mortality and therefore is not a huge deal. Wall Street also agreed, and Amgen stock took a hit, even with positive results.”

– Important insight from an insider. Thank, wildrover.

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Originally at :Mark's Daily Apple Written By : Mark Sisson

#Edition, #Link, #LOVE, #Weekend #Fitness

[arreiseanaj-blog1]

Best turkish restaurant Toronto

The best Turkish restaurants and cafes in delicacies in Toronto price popularized through the Ottoman Empire. These are establishments where you'll locate rich coffee served with traditional baked goods like borek, simit and sari burma, along with crave-worthy street foods like pide and doner.

Istanbul Cafe

This Yonge and Eglinton area establishment runs as a cafe by day and cocktail bar at night. House-made Turkish pastries and comprise lemony semolina pastries and savoury dishes are around the menu, stuffed grape leaves dusted with lentil soup and sumac, spinach borek together with Sari Burma.

Byblos

This eatery on Duncan draws on inspiration from a mosaic of Eastern Mediterranean areas, Ottoman cuisines among them. On the menu you’ll find numerous mezze, manti dumplings and salmon kibbeh nayeh trimmed with mint Turkish spread and a dollop of labneh.

Mr. Pide

This Turkish pizzeria on The Danforth is home to conventional pies like Yumurtali Acık topped with ground beef and bright eggs, and the boat-formed Ispanakli Kiymali loaded with spinach and ground beef.

Simit & Chai

This charming bakery and cafe on King West bargains in loose leaf teas, coffee that is powerful, Turkish-style street bagels, and mini sandwiches. Settle in here to get a game of backgammon and nosh on bagel sandwiches and olive spread or tea sandwiches piled with pastrami and fava bean spread.

Pizza Pide

Locate this gourmet Turkish-style pizza joint on Gerrard Street East slinging 20 varieties of traditional thin crusted pies. Favourite topping mixtures include delicacies like pastrami roasted lamb and mozzarella cheese, or spinach and feta.

GTA banquet halls

Anatolia

Where the first Friday of every month features live music, belly dancers, and fortune tellers, Turkish cuisine and culture are in the vanguard of the Etobicoke eatery. On the menu you’ll find conventional dishes like Sigare Boregi and Beyti and a range of hot and cold appetizers. Don't forget to try the baklava.

Mustafa

The menu at this Wilson Heights restaurant offers a full selection of pide topped with sauasage and cheese or spiced minced beef in addition to platters loaded with rice and beef or chicken kebap.

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Top turkish restaurants in Toronto

The best Turkish restaurants and cafes in delicacies in Toronto bargain popularized throughout the Ottoman Empire. All these are establishments where you'll find rich java served with conventional baked goods like sari, borek and simit burma, along with crave-worthy street foods like doner and pide.

Byblos

This eatery on Duncan draws inspiration from a mosaic of Eastern Mediterranean regions, Ottoman cuisines among them. On the menu you’ll locate various mezze, manti dumplings and salmon kibbeh nayeh trimmed with mint Turkish spread and a dollop of labneh.

Anatolia

Culture and Turkish cuisine are in the vanguard of the Etobicoke restaurant where the first Friday of every month features live music, belly dancers, and fortune tellers. On the menu you’ll find traditional dishes like Beyti and Sigare Boregi and an array of hot and cold appetizers. Do not forget to try the baklava.

Mr. Pide

This Turkish pizzeria on The Danforth is home to traditional pies like Yumurtali Acık topped with ground beef and bright eggs, and the boat-formed Ispanakli Kiymali loaded with spinach and ground beef.

Simit & Chai

This charming bakery and cafe on King West prices in coffee that is powerful, loose leaf teas, Turkish-style road bagels, and sandwiches that are mini. Settle in here to get a game of backgammon and nosh on bagel sandwiches and olive paste or tea sandwiches stacked with pastrami and fava bean spread.

Mustafa

The menu at this Wilson Heights restaurant offers the full range of pide as well as platters loaded with steak or chicken kebap and rice.

Istanbul Cafe

This Yonge and Eglinton area establishment runs at nighttime as a cafe by day and cocktail bar. House-made Turkish pastries and savoury dishes are around the menu and include lemony semolina pastries, stuffed grape leaves dusted with sumac, spinach borek and lentil soup in addition to Sari Burma.

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Pizza Pide

Locate this gourmet Turkish-style pizza joint on Gerrard Street East slinging 20 varieties of conventional thin crusted pies. Favourite topping combinations include delicacies like pastrami, roasted lamb and mozzarella cheese, or spinach and feta.