Mixing flavors at Istanbul Grill
When I was three or four, my mom once asked me what relationship was the most important in life. I said friendship. She wasn’t happy. She wanted to hear that the mother-and-child love was the most important, to which I explained that mother and child should treat each other like friends, with respect and trust and so on, thereby making the relationship a friendship. For all these years, my mom has been my best friend, but I’ve had other amazing friendships too. Some last, some don’t. Some fade, some strengthen. Some are built over the world wide web, some are formed through sleepless nights struggling over assignments. You know what the best thing about non-family friends is? You get to choose them. You get to hang out with people who are different from you, but mix so well with you, like salt and lemon. Or how about this, like yogurt and meat?
Iskender kebab - lamb and beef on fried pide bread with yogurt
What are you smoking, Mai, yogurt and meat? Yep. Yogurt and thin slices of döner (beef and lamb), blanketing a bed of dice butter-roasted pide bread (the Turkish name of pita bread). It is carnivore festival. If you ever feel like you are ready to chow down a cow in two minutes, Middle Eastern restaurants are the place to roll. They beat Texas BBQ houses by miles in the blunder of sheer meat. BBQ houses at least try to give you a salad (with dressing, but still), a few starchy objects like toasts and buns, a side or two of cole slaw, green bean, corn, or whatever skimmishly healthy. The Persians smirk at such disguise. If you want meat, you get meat, either in a giant ball or in a giant mount. The doner overwhelms any trace of pide bread there might have been. Then the refreshingly sour yogurt overwhelms the doner, turning the fibrous meaty texture into a shivering juicy touch. The combination is like a racist joke among friends, you know it isn’t right, but you laugh anyway because it’s wickedly funny.
Meze-tabagi (mixed appetizer)
Anyhow, to temper the protein surplus, our group order a veggie appetizer plate to share. The meze tabagi (mixed meze) has seven constituents, clockwise from the lemon wedge: Tabuli (a mix of diced green onion, tomatoes and herbs), Ezme (minced tomatoes, red pepper, walnuts and herbs), dolma (spiced rice wrapped in grape leaves), Patlican Salata (smashed eggplant salad with onion and bell pepper), Pirasa (leeks, carrots, rice and onion), Taze Fasulye (green beans), and Humus (mashed chickpeas and sesame paste). All seven mixes except the humus are seasoned with olive oil and lemon juice. All are amazingly tasty on pide bread, especially the eggplant.
All we have up to this point is, literally, a sour meal. Lemon juice in the appetizer, yogurt in the entree. Then we order baklava for dessert. You know how a cookie tastes after you suck on a lemon wedge, right? Extra sweet. Like eating a brick of brown sugar. So my friend damps the sucrose flood by some bitter black coffee. A strong, nice mix.
Baklava and coffee
Address: Istanbul Grill (in the Village area around Rice University)
5613 Morningside Drive
Houston, TX 77005
(713) 526-2800
(Double parking is allowed/necessary, so don’t be surprised when a waiter asks to move your car to let another customer drive out of the lot.)
Other Persian restaurants I’ve visited:
1. Cafe Renaissance downtown Palo Alto
2. Alborz restaurant on Center Street, Berkeley
3. Azerbaijan Cuisine on Fulton Street, Berkeley
Merely a smiling visitant here to share the love (:, btw great layout. “Treat the other man’s faith gently it is all he has to believe with.” by Athenus.
1Hello, Neat post. There’s an issue together with your site in internet explorer, could test this?K IE nonetheless is the marketplace leader and a large component to folks will miss your fantastic writing because of this problem.
2Thanks for helping out, excellent info .
3Keep functioning ,great job!
4I will immediately grasp your rss as I can not find your e-mail subscription hyperlink or e-newsletter service. Do you’ve any? Please allow me know in order that I may subscribe. Thanks.
5Real clear internet site, thanks for this post.
6Attractive component to content. I just stumbled upon your web site and in accession capital to claim that I get in fact enjoyed account your blog posts. Any way I will be subscribing on your feeds or even I achievement you get admission to constantly quickly.
7Aw, this was a really nice post. In concept I would like to put in writing like this moreover – taking time and actual effort to make an excellent article… however what can I say… I procrastinate alot and in no way seem to get something done.
8Thank you for the good writeup. It in fact was a amusement account it. Look advanced to more added agreeable from you! By the way, how could we communicate?
9There are actually a lot of particulars like that to take into consideration. That could be a nice point to carry up. I supply the ideas above as general inspiration but clearly there are questions just like the one you carry up where an important thing will probably be working in trustworthy good faith. I don?t know if greatest practices have emerged round things like that, but I’m positive that your job is clearly recognized as a fair game. Each girls and boys feel the impression of only a second’s pleasure, for the rest of their lives.
10Awsome article and straight to the point. I don’t know if this is in fact the best place to ask but do you guys have any ideea where to get some professional writers? Thanks 🙂
11I am not real great with English but I line up this real easygoing to read .
12Greetings! I know this is kinda off topic however I’d figured I’d ask. Would you be interested in trading links or maybe guest authoring a blog post or vice-versa? My site goes over a lot of the same topics as yours and I believe we could greatly benefit from each other. If you’re interested feel free to send me an email. I look forward to hearing from you! Wonderful blog by the way!
13You have remarked very interesting points! ps nice site.
14You have brought up a very wonderful points, appreciate it for the post.
15Hello, Neat post. There’s a problem along with your site in internet explorer, would test this… IE nonetheless is the marketplace leader and a big part of folks will miss your excellent writing due to this problem.
16Hello there, I found your web site via Google whilst searching for a similar subject, your site got here up, it seems to be great. I’ve bookmarked it in my google bookmarks.
17Excellent web site. Plenty of useful information here. I’m sending it to a few buddies ans also sharing in delicious. And of course, thank you on your sweat!
18Hi my friend! I want to say that this article is amazing, nice written and include almost all important infos. I’d like to see more posts like this.
19obviously like your web-site however you need to check the spelling on several of your posts. A number of them are rife with spelling issues and I find it very troublesome to tell the truth then again I’ll definitely come back again.
20I conceive this site has some very wonderful info for everyone :D.
21Hi, I think your blog might be having browser compatibility issues. When I look at your website in Opera, it looks fine but when opening in Internet Explorer, it has some overlapping. I just wanted to give you a quick heads up! Other then that, fantastic blog!
22I like this web blog very much, Its a very nice billet to read and incur information.
23I was very pleased to search out this net-site.I needed to thanks for your time for this wonderful read!! I positively having fun with every little bit of it and I’ve you bookmarked to take a look at new stuff you weblog post.
24I have been exploring for a little bit for any high quality articles or blog posts in this kind of house . Exploring in Yahoo I at last stumbled upon this website. Studying this info So i’m glad to show that I’ve a very good uncanny feeling I discovered just what I needed. I most indubitably will make sure to don’t forget this web site and provides it a look regularly.
25I have been exploring for a little for any high-quality articles or blog posts in this sort of space . Exploring in Yahoo I ultimately stumbled upon this site. Studying this information So i am glad to exhibit that I’ve an incredibly good uncanny feeling I found out exactly what I needed. I most certainly will make certain to do not overlook this website and provides it a look regularly.
26You could definitely see your enthusiasm within the work you write. The world hopes for even more passionate writers such as you who aren’t afraid to mention how they believe. At all times go after your heart.
27I loved as much as you’ll receive carried out right here. The cartoon is tasteful, your authored subject matter stylish. nevertheless, you command get got an shakiness over that you want be turning in the following. in poor health certainly come further previously again since exactly the same just about a lot continuously inside case you defend this hike.
28As soon as I found this internet site I went on reddit to share some of the love with them.
29Some truly quality content on this web site, saved to fav.
30An impressive share, I just given this onto a colleague who was doing a little analysis on this. And he in fact bought me breakfast because I found it for him.. smile. So let me reword that: Thnx for the treat! But yeah Thnkx for spending the time to discuss this, I feel strongly about it and love reading more on this topic. If possible, as you become expertise, would you mind updating your blog with more details? It is highly helpful for me. Big thumb up for this blog post!
31This really answered my downside, thank you!
32What’s Happening i am new to this, I stumbled upon this I have found It absolutely useful and it has helped me out loads. I hope to contribute & aid other users like its aided me. Great job.
33Everything is very open and very clear explanation of issues. was truly information. Your website is very useful. Thanks for sharing.
34I have been exploring for a bit for any high quality articles or blog posts in this sort of house . Exploring in Yahoo I ultimately stumbled upon this web site. Studying this info So i am glad to express that I’ve a very excellent uncanny feeling I came upon exactly what I needed. I so much certainly will make certain to don’t omit this website and provides it a glance on a continuing basis.
35I conceive other website proprietors should take this internet site as an model, very clean and good user friendly design and style.
36Thank you for helping out, wonderful info. “I have witnessed the softening of the hardest of hearts by a simple smile.” by Goldie Hawn.
37Only wanna admit that this is extremely helpful, Thanks for taking your time to write this.
38I love your writing style genuinely enjoying this website .
39Great remarkable things here. I’m very satisfied to peer your post. Thank you so much and i’m taking a look forward to touch you. Will you please drop me a e-mail?
40I do agree with all the concepts you’ve introduced in your post. They are really convincing and can definitely work. Nonetheless, the posts are too quick for starters. May just you please lengthen them a little from next time? Thank you for the post.
41Hi! This is my 1st comment here so I just wanted to give a quick shout out and say I truly enjoy reading through your posts. Can you recommend any other blogs/websites/forums that cover the same subjects? Thank you!
42You have observed very interesting points! ps nice website . “Great opportunities to help others seldom come, but small ones surround us every day.” by Sally Koch.
43You should take part in a contest for one of the best blogs on the web. I will recommend this site!
44I simply couldn’t leave your website before suggesting that I really enjoyed the standard information a person provide to your visitors? Is going to be again steadily to check up on new posts
45Enjoyed looking through this, very good stuff, regards. “Shared joys make a friend, not shared sufferings.” by Friedrich Wilhelm Nietzsche.
46Thanks , I have recently been searching for information about this subject for ages and yours is the greatest I have discovered so far. But, what about the bottom line? Are you sure about the source?
47Great post, you have pointed out some excellent points, I besides believe this s a very wonderful website.
48Some truly excellent information, Glad I found this. “They are able because they think they are able.” by Virgil.
49This blog is definitely rather handy since I’m at the moment creating an internet floral website – although I am only starting out therefore it’s really fairly small, nothing like this site. Can link to a few of the posts here as they are quite. Thanks much. Zoey Olsen
50