Category: Flavors

Postcard from Marseille, France: Seafood, spices and mysterious black vanilla

postcardsfromsanantonio1 Comment
Postmarked via a stamped rum bottle vase at Hippie Chic

Above: Speciale de Claires oyster at La Boite a Sardine

A fair number of French will tell you in unguarded moments that ‘Marseille is not France,’ and what they mean by that is that it’s too Arab, too Italian, too Corsican, too mixed up with foreignness to be truly and adequately French. But, anybody who knows me knows that’s exactly the kind of mixed up gene pool I like to swim in and eat in. It is a glorious stew of a city, smelling of Middle Eastern spices, garlic, saffron and the sea.”

“Marseille is a Must-See City in France,” Anthony Bourdain, CNN, October 2, 2015

Offering up a quick alphabetical tour of restaurants we came across and enjoyed while in Marseille this past spring.

A trendy, upscale yet casual, lunch-only spot attracting neighborhood millennials to the point where reservations are recommended, Cantoche is not in a location you would simply stumble across as a tourist. But it’s definitely destination-worthy and less than a fifteen-minute walk from the Vieux Port.

Continue reading “Postcard from Marseille, France: Seafood, spices and mysterious black vanilla” →

Postcard from Amsterdam, Netherlands: A melting pot of food from different lands

postcardsfromsanantonioLeave a comment

Above: Tower of spinach-stuffed winter squash, eggplant, goat cheese, apricot, and caramelized onion atop couscous at Rainarai Prinsengracht

We only had time to sample a handful of restaurants in Amsterdam, but two drew us back multiple times. Maybe these photos will help you decide what’s a good fit for you.

Continue reading “Postcard from Amsterdam, Netherlands: A melting pot of food from different lands” →

Postcard from Istanbul, Turkey: Exploring traditional and imported flavors

postcardsfromsanantonioLeave a comment

Above photo: The handsome copper-domed grill above is located in Zebeyir Ocakbasi in the Beyoglu neighborhood. Ocakbasis are meat-centric open-grill restaurants which, like meyhanes, offer meze and alcoholic beverages.

If you long to imbibe a bit of alcohol with your food in Istanbul, the safest bet is to look for an ocakbasi or a meyhane. Meyhane is derived from mey meaning wine and hane meaning house – a tavern. Meyhanes have existed for centuries around the port of Istanbul, but tolerance of them swings depending on who rules the country.

The 17th century was also marked by a vicious cycle of banning and then legalizing the meyhane. As Kocu (Resad Ekrem Kocu, 1905-1975) wrote: ‘Sultan Ahmet I (1590-1617) prohibited the use of alcohol in July 1613, and also closed all meyhane and their guild. But, as a contemporary historian later on wrote, “As human nature is inclined towards depravity and evil, soon people were back to their drinking habits.”‘”

“Joie de Vivre – A History of Istanbul Meyhanes,” Yavuz Sac and Tan Morgul,” Gastromondiale, March 3, 2024

I have no idea whether it is by law or not, but there are blocks lined with meyhanes one after another, and the same is true of ocakbasis. Meyhanes offer a selection of traditional meze dishes and seafood in a simple setting.

They attract an unlikely trio of customers: thirsty tourists like us, young people at night and tables of older males who gather to sip coffee or raki together. Raki is made from the dregs of grapes left in the winepress that are distilled twice and flavored with aniseed.

Continue reading “Postcard from Istanbul, Turkey: Exploring traditional and imported flavors” →