I was recently on an adventure in Istanbul; a long overdue vacation in which I surrendered myself to the city I grew up in. In the last 30 years, the city has developed and changed tremendously, however, I have a strong desire for trying to rediscover the obscure and less visited backstreets that have somehow remained erect and thriving, keeping the local culture alive. I am avoiding luxury accommodations, 5 star restaurants and global cuisine and am seeking out the untouched yet nostalgic spaces.
Years ago, I read the book Lotus Grows In Mud by Goldie Hawn and a particular sentiment has stuck with me ever since – “the best way to travel is sometimes getting lost”. When I’m traveling, a huge grin appears on my face when I don’t know exactly where I am. I take the time to surrender to this experience, which starts an honest and true form of discovery. As I will try to document this experience for Room Temp by Moshe and Seduction Meals, I am also going to attempt to be present and allow this discovery to happen.
The best restaurants I have eaten are all ones I have merely stumbled upon by just walking. I have always shared these restaurants with my Irish maven architect, Clodagh. We’ve had numerous infamous lunches but my favorite is at a tiny East Village restaurant in NYC, Il Buco. Their fava bean salad with mint and peas is delicious and coincidentally, is the restaurant where I ate arugula with my fingers for the first time. In the meantime, I recommend you whisk away your romantic partner and try to get lost in the backstreets of any city, Istanbul or wherever you find yourself.
