PlanetEye

I'm always on the lookout for those silky cashmere compositions.... I've got like a dozen in amazing colors. Some paisley, some striated. More like a passion than a need, getting a new one's like notching another kill in my scarf drawer. The feel of the soft fabric is akin to a warm hug. And a great way to snazz up a white T-shirt and blue jeans.  That is, only if wearing the real McKoy--one that won't bleed on that just perfect white Gap poplin cotton shirt in the middle of an April shower. Don't laugh! It's happened to me. 

But again I'm diverging from the real bargains here. I bought one just last week at Gondol in Beyoglu--a place that starts as a small, un-gated entrance to the lobby of an apartment building among the legions of modern façades lining the flanks of Istiklal Caddesi. It opens into a boutique "wall" with more colors, fabrics and designs than possibly imaginable.  I paid 10 liras (about 7 dollars) for a heavy cotton number I was going to offer--in true Turkish hospitality--to the wife of an Angeleno musician friend who came to Istanbul for a gig.

I thought that was a great find until just yesterday when I got caught in colder-than-usual weather while shopping for school supplies in the Kadikoy open-air market. Trying to stave off a sure case of pneumonia meant....yep... buying another pashmina. At least it sounded like a great reason then. Never mind that my two children were wearing T-shirts without a care in the world. I was cold, darn it, and needed another, hmmm, cashmere number this time.

As an addict needing her fix, I began my search at 15 liras on that particular day-- a busy Saturday, which brings crowds, which brings demand, which raises the going-rate for things, you know the rest... Ambling on among the jeers and cheers of braying fishermen, I scored a thick cashmere wrap in a sharp mustard hue, pocked with an ethereal blue paisley. DIvine... Oh... and for just 12 liras, which really means 10 if haggling in cash.

And... yes, I'll get to the point of the story-- and provide a shopping scoop included in the Turkey travel guidebook I'm penning for Avalon Publishing. But only if you promise to buy the book when it comes out in Spring 2009 (shameless plug).

Where to get your hand on plush pashminas:

Igüs Esarp (Yaglikçilar Cad. 80, Grand Bazaar; 0212/512-2538)  has every possible shawl imaginable, from premium silk, wool, and velvet to viscose, from to 20 to 40 liras. Looking for silk? Head to Ipek (Istiklal Cad. 120, Beyoglu, 0212/249-8207) for scarves (12 to 95 liras) so luxurious they should be framed not worn. They also peddle woolen pash's, as well as silken ties and cravats starting at 17 liras. Owners Selim or Ismail will be pleased to proudly unravel their entire collection.  And the address for Gondol is, Istiklâl Caddesi 139. Come with cash and bargain, particularly if planning to purchase more than one.

Buyer beware, there may be some for eight liras.... But those are the ones that'll help you paint the town red--not figuratively-- on a Friday night out.

STRICTLY SPEAKING: SILK-- Ipek (pron. eepehk)

Offering respite for those KO'd on kebabs or passed out on pilaf, a new swanky diner's opened its doors in the back streets of Beyoglu, ratcheting up the area's already trendy continental ambience. 

La Brise, a brasserie launched in March by Teoman Hünal who brought the ridiculously popular British bar concept The North Shields to Istanbul, is set in the ground floor of a refurbished late 19th- century townhouse. Boasting all but 20 linen-covered tables set so close that going to the petit coin becomes a veritable obstacle course, walls of cherry wood pocked by ochre panels and mirrors reflecting the flicker of candles all add to the enchantment. And so do the sounds of Edith Piaf and Jacques Brel piped in over cleverly concealed speakers. 

Crossing the dining room filled with a barrage of well-clad, iPhone-totting 20-something's to a corner table meant to accommodate two midgets, my 6-foot hubby and I--rather on the tall, healthy side as well, is all but an easy feat. Complying to our surroundings, we tuck in our frames and glance over a menu inspired straight from Alsace-Lorraine.

We order the rudimentary salade verte and steak, with a Chilean merlot that inspires me over the indigineous vintages I know will disappoint and the 200-lira Californian Mondavi I desire but know I can buy for less than 15 dollars at Trader Joe's in Los Angeles. 

After breathing for 10 minutes, the claret does justice to a superbly dressed butter lettuce with fresh garlic, cherry tomatoes and filaments of green peppers. Next , a three inch-thick slab of entrecôte and thick frites stuffed in a metal goblet arrive. The meat lacks tenderness and deepens my craving for a Black Angus cut; the french fries are a sorry--hmmmm...soggy--accompaniment. But at 35 liras, it's a decent meal.

With musician friends from LA perfroming in less than a half-hour at Babylon just around the corner, we pass on the espresso and mousse au chocolat and proceed with the bill. At just 100 liras for my meal and the lackluster lamb chops over mashed potatoes my husband had, the tête-á-tête repast was quite affordable. Oh... And the ubiquitous cover charge for fresh bread and bottle water is just 5 liras per person. The black-vested garçons provide more than adequate service, although their knowledge of the food carte surpasses that of the wine list.  

I'll be back to try their moules mariniéres. 

LA BRISE

PHONE:+90.212.244 48 46
ADDRESS:  Asmalimescit Caddesi 28

Istanbul will be scoring a W May 6--not for a win, but for the inauguration of a sWanky hotel right on the European heights of the Bosphorus.

Neo-zen design and a slate of lip-smacking colors will woo upmarket guests looking for lodgings out of the box. Calming chocolate hues with a splash of cherry red, with gilt to top it all off, the rooms' design palette calms the spirit as it stimulates the senses.

Serenity rules supreme on the upper floors, while grooviness governs the groundfloor. Banking on its brand of streamlined ammenities like W's Living Room--a round-the-clock beehive of action suffused in cool tunes and offering yummy libation and internationally-inspired  noshes, is perhaps best of all. The same sumptuous satay served as a snack in LA is available in Istanbul. Other replicated services include the hugely successful SWEAT® fitness centers and WHATEVER/WHENEVER® concierge services. Those to call for that late night belly dancer. 

But if that's not enough to impress, prepare to leap off the culinary map into Jean-Georges Vongerichten's Spice Market restaurant. The  menu.... oh, so delightful...highlights a vinegar-infused pork vindaloo, a dish that's sure to be a hit with expats--the sale of this white meat is taboo and hard to find in this Muslim nation.

And the Austin, Texas-based hospitality giant Starwood Hotels & Resorts sure hope that all will fall for it hook, line and sinker. Choosing to launch their innovative hospitality idea in Istanbul prior to pitching it throughout the old continent, passing on Paris and lopping London off the list. Could this--and the long-awaited opening of the Four Seasons on the Bosphorus--be a sign that the city once known as Constantinople is European tourism's new darling? Guess what? It already is.  

ADDRESS: Suleyman Seba Cad No: 22; Akaretler, Besiktas; Istanbul 34357 · Turkey  PHONE: +90.212.381-2121               

So you've taken it upon yourself to shop till your last breath at what locals call the Kapalicarsi. So much to see, do, buy! And, with more than 4,000 shops, markets and cafés, how the heck are you supposed to to find what where!

First, the online reviews aren't a bad place to start. Literally by the tons, you scroll through them thinking, "I wasn't looking for an 18-carat, marquise-cut diamond ring for the low price of $5,000... or a cheap Hagia Sofya mug..."  In glossies, dailies or blogs, reviews are highly subjective. And frankly what's good for the Jones' may not always be YOUR ideal. 

Obviously, if the Clintons shopped there on their last trip to the city --or if Dolce & Gabbana scour their shelves for their next collection, the place may at first strike you as pricey or snooty. But, then again, not always. Often, some of these places have been around for so long, they've ingrained themselves in the fabric of the 500-year old structure. As is the case with Murat Hasha's store (Yaglikçilar Cad. 57, Grand Bazaar), where world-reknown fashion designers like Rifat Özbek, Hussein Chalayan get their fabric.

And for Hillary's favorite place? Dogan & Özgür Bilgili (Takkeciler Sok 93-95 Grand Bazaar, 0212/527-6359) offers well-tailored, fine leather jackets and fiull-length coats, starting at about 150 TL. For innovative purses, slippers and Western-style boots crafted out of kilim, from 25-250TL, Ercan May’s Ercan Hediyelik Esya (Kolancilar Sok 7, 0212/522-5361) is the place to go. For the thickest, butter-soft  Turkish cotton bathrobes and towels, you can’t go wrong with Abdulla Natural Products (Halicilar Cad. 62, Grand Bazaar, 0212/527-3684). And to quench my passion for scarves, I head for Igüs Esarp  (Yaglikçilar Cad. 80,  0212/512-2538) for every possible color, texture--silk, wool, and velvet to viscose; and budget--from 20 to 40 liras. 

STRICTLY SPEAKING: How much? -- Ne kadar? [Neigh (think of horses) kadar]

At first, a school, I thought, with a name like Istanbul Culinary Institute ... But, on closer inspection, it's simultaneously a top-notch yet mundane eatery at VERY decent prices, considering Istanbul's ballooning cost of eating out that had been, at least a couple of years ago, still relatively cheap compared to the rest of Europe.

But I'm diverging.

There's no fancy haute cuisine air here:  Just good ol' Turkish cooking presented in a stark bistro manner, meaning wide-rimmed, platter-like white dishes that feature what appears to be a tiny amount of sustenance, relative to the size of the plate. Once plopped on the table, let me assure that the portion is as adequate as it is sumptuous. What's good? Everything, but during my last trip I enjoyed spinach stew with chunks of the most tender lamb. I'll just say that while it doesn't measure up to my mother-in-law's (shameless plug), it's the best I ever had while eating out. The yogurt! Ahhhh... There's absolutely nothing like it; light, creamy, and a smoothness that must have taken hours to achieve. And for dessert, Irmik Helvasi-- a dish made of semolina, pine nuts, sugar, and a half-day's worth of whisking the mix over extremely low heat. It was good, but the espresso that accompanied it was served sans crema. That, Hande Bozdogan (ICI's owner) will have to rectify if she wants to attract the international clientele known to frequent her restaurant's Tepebasi neighborhood. 

For about 20 TL (15USD) a head, there's a three-course table d'hôte menu that gets updated daily, as well as an á la carte menu.

ADDRESS: Mesrutiyet Cad. 59, Tepebasi-Istanbul

PHONE: +90.212.251 22 14

WEB:  Istanbul Culinary Institute

STRICTLY SPEAKING: Soup--Çorba [Pron. chorba (as in chalk)]

The Anadolu Kavak – the last Asian port-of-call on the Bosphorus – is a quaint, sleepy cliffside village that, come mid-June through mid-September, becomes a tourist magnet.

Steamboats, which twice daily in summer or once for the rest of the year, download travellers with tons of currency just waiting to be spent.  As such, entrepreneurs have opened shop along back alleys to stake their claim on the potential wealth just awaiting to be spent.  Along curious byblos, knock-off designer purses, tiles, mosaics and the inevitable evil-eye jewelry, one can find truly unique souvenirs, particularly those of indigenous crafters who sell their wares along the windy roads that lead up to the ruins of a Genoese Castle overlooking the entrance to the Black Sea. 

After a fast-paced, 15-minute climb up steep, narrow streets, the castle atop looms as inquisitors enter the park-like area that emcompasses a café/restaurant just below the crumbling structure. 

One can stop for a refreshment or continue straight up to the 10th-century Genoese Castle. The relic itself is well worth it, but the view just beyond the last hillock that makes up the Bosphorus' Asian landscape is nothing short of awe-inspiring. Aside from reaching the finish line of an enjoyable ascent, the fairly untouched mouth of the strait – mostly owned by the Turkish military – will leave the viewer with a glimpse of what the Bosphorus' other entrance may have looked like before it became the seduction of more than three empires. 

HOW TO GET THERE: Embark the 90-minute "Bosphorus Cruise" steamboat at 10:35 a.m. or  13:35 p.m. (as of 04/14/2008) at the port of Eminönu. For more info, log on to http://www.ido.com.tr/en/index.cfm?page=SubPage&kapsam=178&textid=1244&ln=EN

A WORD TO THE WISE: For outside seating, arrive at least an hour prior to departure. 

STRICTLY SPEAKING: ANADOLU KAVAGI (pron. Anadolou Kavaheu) –- Anatolian Oak 

Sipping a great cup of Turkish coffee while in Istanbul's a must; finding a place that offers the ultimate cup of syrupy, foamy goodness may not always be easy.

The java nut that I am... Always up for a Latté, percolated, French press, Capp, Frapp, whatever, I've compiled a list of faves for the bean's every incarnation. The honor for awesome Turkish coffee has to go to Kuzguncuk's Çinaralti Kahve. A place so ingrained in the local psyche, a street address is just superfluous; Istanbulus just know where it's at. From the port in Uskudar, foreigners will have to find it by following the coastal road of Pashalimani north until the Asian enclave of Kuzguncuk, and look for the café behind the bus stop. 

What awaits the patron is the traditional Turkish coffee service, with a cezve--a tiny bottle-necked, handled copper pot, specifically designed to slowly boil the grounds and water until a foam appears and the steaming mélange's ready to be poured. And an espresso-sized cup and saucer, of course. Meant to be sipped in tiny amounts through pursed lips, a late morning cup with friends is an institution among housewives, either at home or in a coffee shop. 

The added bonus that Kuzguncuk lies on the coast means that enjoying a cup  also means reveling in some pretty awesome scenery. And, if time allows, the quaint, historical village also offers a ton of sanctuaries and art galleries. 

Tel: 0216/422 10 36

ORDERING COFFEE:

SUGARLESS: SADE (Pron. Saadey) 

JUST A TAD OF SWEETNESS: AZ SEKERLI (Pron. Az Shekerlee)

SWEET: ORTA (Pron. as it sounds)

EVEN SWEETER: SEKERLI (Pron. Shekerlee)