First stop to this little place. As always I'm drawn to outdoor seating. Pittsburgh may only have a short guaranteed 3 months of good outdoor seating, and this place has a pretty good amount compared to rest of the city.
My friend and I shared two apps and an entree. Plenty of food for the two of us. Hummus, stuffed grape leaves and a mixed grill.
Hummus was smooth with great flavor of the chick peas. I really hate the supermarket stuff as its overloaded with acid and takes that nutty flavor away. Fresh warm pita sever at the table to accompany.
Grape leaves. I'm sooooooo picky about these. Having a great recipe that I use from a very loving YaYa friend of the family, I'm weary to search out a comparison. What I do know is the time and painstaking love it takes to make them. These are stuffed with rice, no meat. Most often when I find these somewhere they are soggy, oil laden and just not good. Istanbul's are really fresh. 5 to an order. Rice is not mushy. You can tell they are made in small batches and often.
Mixed grill was good as well. Served with rice and fresh cabbage slaw and grilled pepper.
Corking fee...$2!! Whaaaat? Amazingly reasonable.
Service was excellent as well.
I will definitely be returning to check out more menu offerings including some dessert and Turkish coffee.