Searching for the Taste of Home
Boston restaurants that transport me to Istanbul
Let’s start with some context
Most of my fondest memories include food. As a toddler I used to crave the same dish for weeks on end. My mom tells the story of how I would regularly fall out of my high chair, while eating my once-favorite steamed peas and corn. After that, I moved on to wanting mantı every night; Turkish meat-stuffed dumplings topped with caramelized red pepper, brown butter, and garlicky yogurt sauce. Except I liked to eat it with tomato sauce and grated kaşar (pronounced kashar) peynir; a hard Turkish cheese. If you’re American, hearing that pairing, you’re thinking ‘that makes sense’. If you’re Turkish, on the other hand, you may think ‘that’s kind of odd’.
That split sentiment is reminiscent of my relationship with my identity. At times American traditions make sense, sometimes they’re strange. The same goes for Turkish culture. My mother is American and my father is Turkish. I was born in Minneapolis and lived there until I was 2 years old. My parents then moved to Istanbul. I went to an Turkish school with the International Baccalaureate Program where some of my classes were in English, and some were in Turkish. When I was 18, I came to Boston for college, I’ve been living here ever since. Whenever I would come to the States I would feel culturally Turkish, and when I was in Turkey, I felt like an American. If we break it down, I’ve spent 16 years of my life in Turkey, and 15 years of my life in the United States. I’ve felt like a foreigner my whole life. It’s as if I have a foot in two places, with nowhere to sit, as my therapist likes to say. It’s been a trip.
If you haven’t been, Istanbul is one of the greatest cities for food in the world. Obviously I’m supremely biased, but we have a long relationship with food that dates back to the Ottomans (they existed from 1299 to 1922). According to historians, “Ottoman cuisine can be described as a fusion and refinement of Mediterranean, Southeast Europe (Balkans), Middle Eastern, Central Asian, Eastern European and Armenian cuisines. Turkish cuisine has in turn influenced those and other neighboring European cuisines. The Ottomans fused various culinary traditions of their realm with influences from Levantine cuisines, Egyptian, Greek and Balkan cuisines, along with traditional Turkic elements from Central Asia (such as yogurt), creating a vast array of specialties.” (İlkin, Nur; Kaufman, Sheilah (2002) Aarssen, Jeroen; Backus, Ad (2000) Kia, Mehrdad (2011). If we unpack this from a sociopolitical sense, the Ottoman empire was an imperialist and colonialist power that conquered these regions and co-opted cultures and cuisines. That’s a different conversation altogether; one for another post.
As a teenager living in a city of 17 million people, I surprisingly didn’t make many ‘bad’ decisions. Though I started going to clubs when I was 15 in Converse and t-shirts, I didn’t get drunk until the summer after high school, when I was 18. For that to happen all I needed was 3 Absolut Vodka’s with apple juice. Okay, maybe I did make some bad decisions… Going out dancing was fun, but my favorite part was the end of the night, when we went to eat mantı at Bodrum Mantı along the Bosphorus at 5 am. The goal was to be sober enough to eat at a restaurant by the end of the night. I’m pleased to report that I regularly achieved that. My order was a red lentil soup with lots of squeezed lemon and pul biber (an earthy, mild spicy red pepper) followed by a half boiled half fried order of mantı (for a little crunch), topped with a healthy amount of the tangy, acidic flavor of sumac (not the poisonous kind, the kind made from the dried and ground berries of the wild sumac flower) spearmint, and of course, more pul biber.
My meal at Bodrum Mantı
Eating mantı at another restaurant in Istanbul with my parents
I’ve missed living in Istanbul terribly. This past year has been especially difficult because I haven’t been able to go back to visit my parents (and eat mantı). Food creates community, it brings us together — another thing we haven’t been able to comfortably enjoy. Food is one of the ways I cope with the overwhelming feeling of being homesick. It’s how I stay connected with my heritage. I know I’m not alone in doing that.
Since I’m now gluten free (likely thanks to the amount of processed food I’ve eaten since I moved here), my fiancée Sarah and I have made mantı multiple times. And by that I mean she made it, and I helped… both with stuffing and folding the mantı, by taste testing throughout, eating the end product, and cleaning up the kitchen once we’re done. If you want to try recreating any of these dishes after you try them, I recommend getting ingredients from Turkuaz Market in Brighton, Sophia’s Greek Pantry in Belmont, Atlas Market in Malden, Syrian Grocery Importing in the South End, Araz Market in Watertown or Christina’s Spice & Specialty Foods in Cambridge.
Mantı after it comes out of the oven
Ready to eat mantı
Some of my favorite Boston restaurants that remind me of home
Istanbul’lu
My favorite Turkish restaurant in Boston. Authentic and small. It’s been around for the last 20+ years.
I love their mercimek soup, çoban salad (I can’t eat a meal without a salad) dolma, humus, patlıcan salad, haydari, lahmacun, imam bayıldı, mücver, karnıyarık, mercimek köfte as appetizers and kavurma, şak şuka, iskender kebab, adana kebab and fırında patlıcan as entrees. Did I mention this was my favorite Turkish restaurant in Boston? I like to have Turkish food with a sour yogurt drink called ayran. Most Americans don’t like it because they prefer their yogurt sweet. They also have a great Turkish breakfast. Get the menemen or cılbır.
Teele Square, Somerville, MA
Sarma
A beautiful restaurant and bar modeled after the traditional meyhanes (saloons) of Turkey. From their website: “Sarma — wrapped; enveloped; rolled up; a bundle of food that is bite sized and served as a meze (appetizer). An embrace.”
Small plates, inspired by Turkish and Middle Eastern flavors. Expensive. Delicious. Great for a date or special occasion. This is what my fiancée and I get for birthdays or celebrations.
Their menu changes often, and it’s always tasty and innovative. Pairings that you wouldn’t expect work exquisitely.
Pro-tip: When they reopen and you can’t find a reservation (they book out months in advance) grab a friend or your date and go stake out a spot at the bar at 6pm. They also have high tops that they save for day-of walk ins.
Winter Hill(ish), Somerville, MA
Oleana
In the same family of restaurants as Sarma and Sofra. While Oleana opened in 2001, Sarma entered the scene in 2013. Oleana has delicious, more traditional style Turkish/Mediterranean/Middle Eastern food.
Small plate style, on the expensive side, but VERY good. A great option for a celebratory dinner.
I like to get cold mezes, hot mezes and then share a large plate and a salad. You should get the za’atar bread, if you can. Oh, and they have a spectacular wine collection.
Cambridge, MA
Helmand
White-tablecloth-style Afghani restaurant. Has been in business for 20+ years. Very tasty. Reminds me of Turkish preparations but with different spices and ingredients.
I recommend the aushak (not gluten-free), mantwo, bowlawni (not gluten-free), banjan, kaddo, salata, laghatac, seekh kabob, qabelee, kourma or mourgh challow.
The way the menu works, you can get the same dish as an appetizer or entree, with meat or without.
Kendall Square, Cambridge, MA
Kava Neo-Taverna
Delicious, authentic Greek food. Expensive but worth it. Their food is imported from Greece. Have them make you a cocktail with masticha if they don’t have one on the menu. It’s made from tree sap. It’s 30% alcohol and so easy to drink.
Try the tzatziki (you have to unless you’re vegan or lactose-intolerant), horiatiki (Greek salad), bouyiourdi, gigandes, kolokithakia, imam, mousaka, oktapodi, keftedes, souvlaki pork or chicken, loukaniko, patates lemonates as mezedes or sides, and the paidakia, uvetsi as entrees.
When you can go, know that it’s a very small restaurant, best for 2–4 people. This past summer they took over a lot of the sidewalk for seating.
South End, Boston, MA
Daddy Jones
Tasty Greek food and cocktails. Don’t go if you don’t like garlic.
I like their fried zucchini, sweet potato fries, Greek salad, tzatziki, hummus and red pepper feta for apps and sides, and the Athena burger (with a lamb or falafel patty). You can even have the burger as a wrap in gluten-free rice paper.
You’d never expect that they have a cute little courtyard out back.
Magoun Square, Somerville, MA
Committee
Greek tapas in a large, seaport bar and restaurant.
I would get the brussels sprouts, patates, zucchini crisps, kounoupidi, octopus, shrimp skordo, mantı — if you eat gluten — , country moussaka, kebab, short ribs pastitsio, brizola or souvlaki.
When you can go and safely sit indoors, it’s a great space for a large group for dinner or just drinks. They have great cocktails and Greek spirits — including my favorite mastiha.
Seaport, Boston, MA
Greek Corner
Homemade Greek food — like your Yai Yai would make it. It’s been around since 1989. Oh, and they cater.
Their souvlaki is amazing — so is their baked lamb dish, tzatziki and horiatiki.
North Cambridge, MA (close to Arlington)
Sofra
Really good Middle Eastern/Mediterranean/Turkish-inspired bakery. Great meze for grab-and-go. I love that their muhammara (a red pepper dip originally from Aleppo, Syria but also found in Levantine and Turkish cuisines) is gluten free. But that’s not their only delicious meze option; they also have beet tzatziki, whipped feta, hummus, labne (strained yogurt served with savory dishes) and baba ganoush.
Also owned by Ana Sortun, of Sarma and Oleana. She even co-authored a cookbook with Maura Kilpatrick called ‘Soframız’ which means ‘Our Table’. It’s based on their extensive travels throughout Turkey and the Middle East, when they were researching recipes and gaining inspiration for Sofra.
Belmont, MA
Ali Baba
A wonderful option for delivery. Authentic Turkish food, just like what you’d get in Turkey. If you eat bread, I hear they have very delicious pide, lahmacun and iskender kebap. Although I do eat lahmacun and iskender when I’m back home, I don’t trust flour in the States. I’d opt for their lamb shish kebab, Adana kebab if you like a little spice (but check if they put bread crumbs in their kebab, sometimes they do). I always get a shepherd salad with my Turkish food.
Sabzi
Traditional Iranian/Persian restaurant on Mass Avenue. Very cozy. Transports you to Iran.
Their most popular menu items are the Kashk-e Bademjan (don’t get this if you allergic to or don’t like almonds or are lactose intolerant) and the Kabab-e Jujeh (a skewer of saffron and citrus-marinated medallions of chicken breast).
Arlington, MA
Cafe Barada
Small, family-owned Lebanese restaurant in North Cambridge — close to Davis Square in Somerville. My favorite dishes are the labany, ful mudammus, baba ghannouj, mujederra, grape leaves for appetizers and the kafta shish kebab, lamb or chicken shish kebab for entrees. I also love their chocolate or pistachio halva (when I feel like cheating).
North Cambridge, MA
Moona
Small plates in a small spot, Eastern Mediterranean, expensive, but delicious.
Fun fact from their website: “The word “moona” in slang comes from the Arabic word mana or ma’oona, meaning “storing.” In other words, it’s the English equivalent of the “pantry.” In the past, especially in remote villages in the Arab World, the moona was prepared during the bountiful harvest for consumption during winter’s harsh days, providing fundamental nourishment for the daily meal, having transformed perishable produce into food with a long shelf life.”
I like their dips plate, fattoush (because I love anything with pomegranate and feta) eggplant fatteh (because I love a good charred eggplant flavor), brussels sprouts and grilled octopus.
Inman Square, Cambridge, MA
Aleppo Palace (was previously called Moody’s Falafel Palace)
Great spot for lunch or a late night craving. I used to go here after going out for drinks in Central. I look forward to doing that again.
Get their falafel or balale with chicken platter or lentil soup. They have a lot of sides and salads, I liked getting a side of tahini, garlic sauce and hot sauce.
I’ve also been told they have amazing tea.
Central Square, Cambridge, MA
Andala Coffee House
Has outdoor seating and shisha/nargile when it’s warm out.
Casual, and has very tasty food. I used to study here when I was in college. I love their side room/covered balcony.
They serve breakfast as well as lunch and dinner dishes. I like their hummus with ajami beef, shakshokeh, chicken kebab, thyme garlic chicken, fattoush salad.
They have a lot of tea options; their Moroccan mint tea is especially good.
Central Square, Cambridge, MA
Noor Mediterranean Grill
Great spot for lunch or dinner. I used to walk here for lunch when I worked in Davis Square and wanted a break from the office.
Try the Noor Trio, falafel or chicken shwarma. It’s one of those places that’s consistently good. People also say that the baklava is great.
Davis Square(ish), Somerville, MA
Ilona
They serve dishes from the region stretching from the eastern Mediterranean to the shores of the Black Sea.
Good for a date (when we can go out on those again…) or takeout for a special occasion.
Their most popular items right now is the chicken kebab and roasted cauliflower which is served with a yogurt sauce (we eat yogurt with everything), celery and pine nuts. I mostly what I like to get meze’s, salads and sides so I can try many things. I also like that this decreases the amount of meat I eat. I like the muhammara, batata harras, imam, octopus, shrimp aliyyeh, mussels buzara and hünkar beğendi (which means translates to ‘the sovereign/sultan liked it’). Their fattoush salad is also delicious because it has my favorite Turkish spice; sumac. I can’t make a salad without sumac and oregano as spices.
South End, Boston, MA
Cafe Beirut
Quick service, no frills modern Lebanese restaurant that serves delicious food.
I like how you can build your meal just how you like it; starting with your base, then choosing veggies, protein and a dressing. If I were to build my meal right now, I’d get a plate with moujadara or yellow rice, with garden veggies because I love pickles and peppers. I’d top that with their falafel, grilled eggplant, fried cauliflower, kefta kabab or chicken shwarma. And then I’d have a terribly difficult time choosing between the baba ghannouj, pomegrate-molasses (this is an essential ingredient in my salad dressings), cocumber-yogurt-mint, tahini and harrisa. I might even have to get additional side orders of sauces, which you can thankfully do. Did I mention they also have meat-filled grape leaves? It’s not as easy to find this preparation around Boston.
Jamaica Plain, Boston, MA
Little Donkey
Expensive small plates inspired by global flavors and dishes.
Good for a date or celebration.
Same owners and creators of Toro; Ken Oringer & Jamie Bissonnette/
Although they are hibernating until Spring 2021, when I can go back, I’ll get the cucumber salad with za’atar, feta buttermilk and spicy peppers, octopusa la plancha and BLT lettuce wrap. They also have a raw bar. We usually get one of their crudos like the hamachi or king salmon crudo. If you want to try a small amount of mantı before you have a full portion size, you can try it here.
Central Square, Cambridge, MA
Anoush’ella
They have gluten free pita so I usually get their flatbread wrap anoush’ella kofta for lunch; it’s deliciously tangy. The lamajun and chicken za’atar also sounds good. They also have bowls, both hot and cold mezze’s and salads. It looks like they also serve brunch on the weekends. Their labne or regular shakshuka with sujuk (dry, spicy and fermented sausage) sounds delicious.
Quite affordable
South End, Boston, MA
Finally, I’d like to acknowledge Cafe Algiers that permanently closed in 2017. They had phenomenal tea and desserts and a very cool bi-level interior in Harvard Sqaure. Since then, Longfellow; owned by Michael Scelfo of Alden & Harlow and Waypoint has taken residence. Be warned before you eat at restaurants he owns — he treats his staff poorly; especially his Black employees who have publicly criticized him for his racist behavior.
Places I want to try next
Rami’s — Middle Eastern — Brookline, MA (Yelp)
Sultana’s — Middle Eastern Bakery — Brighton, MA (Yelp)
Ariana’s — Afghani — Brookline, MA (Yelp)
Servia — Mediterranean — Downtown Boston, MA (Yelp)
Cafe Landwer — Mediterranean — Fenway/BU area, Boston, MA (Yelp)
Baraka — Mediterranean — Porter Square, Cambridge, MA (Yelp)
Al Wadi — Lebanese — West Roxbury, MA (Yelp)
Fairouz — Lebanese, Mediterranean — West Roxbury, MA (Yelp)
Krasi — Mediterranean, Greek — Back Bay, Boston, MA (Yelp)
Man-O-Salwa — Pakistani — Somerville, MA (Yelp)
Silk Road Uyghur Cuisine — Cambridge, MA (Yelp)
Garbanzo Mediterranean Fresh — Mediterranean — Theatre District, Boston, MA (Yelp)
Azama Grill — Middle Eastern — Allston/Brighton, MA (Yelp)
India Quality — Indian — Kenmore Square, Boston, MA (Yelp)
Ajeen — Middle Eastern — Packard’s Corner, Brighton, MA (Yelp)
Rangzen Tibetan Place — Tibetan — Central Square, Cambridge, MA (Yelp)
Zam Zam — South Asian — Medford, MA (Yelp)
Suvaai — Indian, Sri Lankan — North Cambridge, MA (Yelp)
Aceituna Grill — Mediterranean, Middle Eastern — Waterfront, Boston, MA (Yelp)
I want to hear from you
Have you tried any of these restaurants? What are your favorite dishes? Do you have any pro-tips? Let’s keep the conversation going and in turn help these restaurants survive the pandemic.