Description

The quintessential Turkish dining experience is spending a long night at the meyhane, sitting around a table with friends and ordering all sorts of mezze with lots of rakı (an anise-scented alcoholic drink). Eggplant salad, tarama, fava beans, marinated sea bass, lakerda (salted bonito), samphire salad, şakşuka (mixed fried vegetables with yogurt and tomato sauce), and more all appear on the tray. After cold mezzes, continue with yaprak ciğer (thin slices of liver served with onion) and just keep going. Mezze is a way of life, and Asmalı Cavit is both the locals’ and chefs’ favorite meyhane in town. Şerefe! [$$$]