I love New York. I always go every November to join my fiancé on his business trip, and luckily for us, New York City is a Michelin town. Every year we try to change it up and do something new. Sometimes it works out, other times we wing it. For instance, you can’t go wrong with a classic street hot dog with onions and sauerkraut. Or looking through the many options that have garnered a Bib Gourmand from Michelin to go to lunch, when your favorite casual spot is only open for dinner.
I’ve taken a liking to Bib Gourmand spots because of their reasonable prices, and extremely good food.
Spots we tried this time around include Kesté, a pizza spot, Uva for Italian, and Beyoglu for Turkish. Each place has their special item that is a must do with every visit. Beyoglu in particular has the best hummus I have ever tasted.
Hummus served with warm puffed bread from Beyoglu.
People have a misconception of Turkish food being insipid. It’s what my fiancé assumed when I texted him during my solo lunch, until I brought back the hummus and bread for him to eat in his hotel room. He couldn’t believe himself that the hummus was amazing, that he took it upon himself to visit Beyoglu with his business partner the next time he visited NYC.
But the deliciousness just didn’t end with the hummus. The hummus was just the beginning. Since then, I have tried their Dolmades, sausauge, and lamb kefta kebabs. The Dolmades are rich with flavor and the kebabs are left so tender you wonder if they massaged the lamb before butchering it. The Upper East Side surprisingly has these little hidden gems, that I don’t mind walking 10 blocks in November weather to get some hummus.
You can find Beyoglu on 3rd Avenue in the Upper East Side of NYC. Do yourself a favor and stop by after your visit to the MET. It’s unregrettable.