Once upon a time, there was a French naval officer who fell in love with a country that wasn't his own. The natives weren't sure what to make of him. But in the end, he won their hearts, inspiring other giants along the way: Proust, Delibes, British Airways...
This interesting man has a Turkish wine bar named after him. Maybe it's that inanely amusing song about Istanbul no longer being Constantinople. Or that the ghosts of Hemingway and Mata Hari lurk there. Whatever it is, this part of the world plays to the imagination.
On an idyll walk, I rolled into a Turkish wine bar with a curiously French name and tried a zucchini pancake for the first time. Like a parent to her own child, I try to sneak in my vegetables every which way. It was incredibly good. If you prefer savory pancakes, this dish will inspire you to buy a small cast iron skillet to make it for an occasional brunch.
And for something that tasted this yummy, it is surprisingly full of healthy ingredients: walnuts, herbs, and a ton of zucchini. I know - how could it taste that good with all that squash and walnuts! But if you haven't tried a Turkish zucchini pancake, you just haven't lived.
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| Oh, and it comes with a dollop of sour cream butter as if it couldn't taste any better |
I noticed the menu had a French flair. Manager Oktay Atakan explained that the wine bar was named after a French novelist and naval officer, Pierre Loti, who wrote about his time in Istanbul.
So I was compelled to find out more about this obscure writer. His musings on Turkish life was published in 1879 - Aziyadé (Constantinople). Women adored him and Marcel Proust admired him. He beat Emile Zola for a seat in the ever exclusive Académie Française. He wrote a book based on his experience with Tahitians, which later became the inspiration behind Delibes' opera, Lakmé. And thanks to some brilliant advertisers, the famous Flower Duet in Lakmé is forever linked with British Airways. So how Loti fell into obscurity beats me.
As eclipsed as the writer, the namesake wine bar is off the beaten track. Tucked away in a quieter part of Chelsea, it has a non-assuming exterior on 15th St. There are other locations, Park Slope being the new addition. But I really do like the one in Chelsea. The vibe is intimate and the service is great.
With this exceptionally brutal winter, I am certain there are more cold days ahead. Warm up at Pierre Loti with some hot tapas (the zucchini pancake's a must) and a glass of Efes. ~e
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| Waitress Marina Cernavka and Bartender Natalia Andronic |
Pierre Loti West
258 West 15th St
New York, NY 10011
Ph: 212.645.5684
