Gulluoglu

Baklava

The brand new Midtown branch of Gulluoglu, the famous Istanbul bakery and café, is attracting a lot of attention with its signature baklava in all 12 varieties. Since it opened a month ago, there’s been a steady stream of traffic both for dining in and take-out. The baklava are showcased up front by the register, the savory pastries at the back counter, and the seating runs the length of the café between the two. I’m a savory girl, so I love all the meat, cheese and spinach rolls and pies. And the simit! At last there’s an accessible Manhattan bakery that sells the ring of sesame-seed topped bread that I fell in love with in Turkey. I always find the Turkish warm and hospitable, and Gulluoglu is no exception. They never rush you and are more than happy to offer more tea. Maybe it’s because they’ve been serving customers in Istanbul since 1871. While there’s nothing fancy about the 2nd Avenue café in terms of décor, the warmth and yummy phyllo pastries invite me to sit all afternoon, sipping tea and sampling baklavas.

Editor’s PickCelia Sin-Tien Cheng | October 26, 2009

Turkish, sweets, cheese