No Reservations does Turkey and…..

This week’s No Reservations will bring Tony to a more exotic locale. After having a few too many of those little cocktails that the flight attendant was plying him with on his trip, Tony begins his trip in Istanbul needing a little something to ease his pain. No hair of the dog for him – instead it’s a traditional Turkish breakfast at Kale Cafe. There won’t be any 2 eggs over easy and white toast here, instead he’ll be dining on Eggs, Turkish lamb sausage, cheeses, breads, olives, tomatoes and cucumbers. Sounds like like a great way to start the day.

FACT:: the Turkish word for breakfast (kahvaltı) means “before coffee”, so a black tea is served with the meal and coffee is drank afterward.

Hmmm…..I like the way they think (the more caffeine the better).

Tony later tries the original fast food, Lahmajun, which he affectionately refers to as a “low rent favorite”.  Every culture has it’s variation on the PIZZA, and this is Istanbul’s version, made with meats, spices, and vegetables. What does it taste like? Tony says, “I’ve been dialing back on the adjectives on this show. There’s only so many when describing food.” We’ll have to tune in to see if he can complete the task.

Of course when you think of Turkish food, you immediately think of meat on a stick, and Tony indulges in  “A throbbing missile of love” (oh, Tony – that sounds SO WRONG).  Delicious and freshly made this simple street food satisfies (even if you do think of it as stoner food). Tony also tries some soggy burgers off the street. I can’t WAIT to see what he thinks of them (my stomach is turning at the thought).

From lamb heads to black market mussels, Tony leaves no stone unturned. One of the most memorable segments of the episode is Tony’s time with a local taxi driver. Tony doesn’t get much conversation in, but he does say, “being around Ishaan is like being in someone else’s reality show”.

If you’re looking for me on Monday night at 10:00 PM, I won’t be found online (unless I have the netbook in my lap), because I’ll be sitting in my favorite spot watching No Reservations, on the Travel Channel.