Entertainment - turkofamerica.com

Special Issue on Mediterranean Restaurants in New York & New Jersey

TURKOFAMERICA is now covering stories of Turkish / Mediterranean restaurants in New York, New Jersey and Connecticut on a special issue. New York City, which has the most restaurants in the world, invents new places every year. There are 24,300 restaurants to meet the needs of people in New York City, which has an area of only 320 square miles. There are over 100 Turkish / Mediterranean restaurants in tri-state area. The history of Turkish restaurants in Manhattan goes back to the years when Turkish immigrants started working at Armenian restaurants. The oldest Turkish restaurant in Manhattan is Topkapı, which was established by Ugur Eğilmez. Bosporus, Butterfly, Genghis Khan’s Bicycle and Deniz Restaurant followed Topkapı. It is possible to make this list longer, but one of the drawbacks of such a list is that these people were not able to continue their business. Disputes between partners or the difficulties of business were the reasons for take-overs or closings.

April 19, 2023
Published in Restaurants
Written by Admin TOA

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Turkish-American Women in Arts and Technology: New York Designer / Artist Pinar LaCroix's Journey

Art and Technology has always played a significant role in human life and development throughout history. As art comes in many different forms such as painting, sculpture, photography, and music and touches people's lives in various ways technology moves us forward. Today, we want to share the success story and background of one Turkish-American artist, Pinar LaCroix, from New York City, who has found a way to seamlessly combine art and technology. Pinar LaCroix a graduate from ISTEK high schools from Istanbul, developed a deep appreciation for art history and heritage, due to her family’s passion in arts and collecting. After pursuing her academic education she moved to the United States to broaden her artistic vision globally. Her first recognition in the art world came when her painting was recognized by Arica Hilton gallery in Chicago (2001) and was collected at a mixed exhibition. With the first money she earned from her art, she purchased a computer to dive into the world of technology and to feed her curiosity.

April 13, 2023
Published in Culture & Art
Written by Admin TOA

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The Gifted Photographer Joined TURKOFAMERICA Team

Koray Kasap is potentially one of the most famous and talented Turkish American photographers in 21^st century joined to TURKOFAMERICA team as a creative art director and lead photographer. Kasap has worked as both an image maker and a photographer for several well-known Turkish singers, TV stars, model, and artists such Tarkan, Mazhar-Fuat-Özkan, Müslüm Gürses, Ahmet Kaya, Kenan Doğulu, Cem Yılmaz, Yılmaz Erdoğan, Bayezıt Öztürk. After moving to the United States in 2017, Kasap also worked with Hollywood stars Sylvester Stallone, Whoopi Goldberg, and Jason Statham. Most recently he shot photos of Netflix movie which was shot in New York, Kıvanç Tatlıtuğ and Beren Saat have leading roles.

January 7, 2023
Published in Culture & Art
Written by Admin TOA

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Lakewood Group staff with Chris Morgan. Photo by Tulug Ozel

Do You Want to Buy or Sale A Restaurant: Lakewood Group Realty Is Ready to Help

“80% of the restaurant business default the first two years. It's a very taxing and demanding business. Because of that, the entrepreneur interested in opening a restaurant must be very knowledgeable of this business to succeed,” Chris Morgan says.

December 28, 2022
Published in Restaurants
Written by Admin TOA

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Burhan Öçal made his United States debut in February 1998 with Eliot Fisk in Los Angeles. PHOTO by KORAY KASAP

World Percussion Master Who Doesn't Like to Brag, Burhan Öçal

Recognized worldwide as a virtuosic percussionist Burhan Öçal has made the bridging of musical cultures his central mission. A native of Kırklareli in Thrace region, he grew up in a musical family. From his father, he learned a variety of percussion instruments, while his mother introduced him to religious vocal music. After his first contact with Western music, he became interested in combining other genres and cultural traditions, such as jazz and Western classical music, with his own. Burhan Öçal’s instruments are as diverse as his music. He is a highly skilled player on a number of stringed instruments. Once Sting described him as ‘the king of drum.’

December 28, 2022
Published in Culture & Art
Written by Admin TOA

Süheybe Çökük’s customers include retail giants such as Michael Kors, Children's Place, David Yurman, Tommy Hilfiger, Bloomingdales, and Macy's. Photo by Koray Kasap

Printing from Walls to Vehicles, from MoMa to Mom&Pop

When COVID-19 spread and halted life, employees of Letra Sign Supplies, a sign, banner and printing business in Garfield, New Jersey were concerned. They had moved the company from Clifton, NJ to Garfield that year. The company was on the eve of growth. They were providing logo, banner, sign, and other printing materials services to the retail sector at all scales, from small to large. What they feared did not happen. On the contrary, their business grew.

December 28, 2022
Published in Culture & Art
Written by Admin TOA

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Nail (Nile) Candan. Photo by Koray Kasap

Selling Carpet Across the U.S.

Sellers in the carpet shops in the Grand Bazaar, İstanbul are known in the world for their unique sales techniques. The sales adventure ends with the customer who enters the shop saying "I will definitely not buy a carpet" and receives thousands of dollars’ worth of carpet to his home. Carpets sold in Istanbul Grand Bazaar are delivered directly to Germany, France, Belgium, the United States and all over the world. They swallowed the dust of the Grand Bazaar together at an early age, carried carpets, served tea to tourists, swept the floor, tried to learn English together, and got scolded by the boss. The story of the friendship and brotherhood of two apprentices of the same shop for nearly 35 years, stretching from Istanbul to America.

December 28, 2022
Published in Culture & Art
Written by Admin TOA

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To honour the memory of her great-great-great-grandfather, Ayşe Gülnev Osmanoğlu wrote a novel, “The Gilded Cage on the Bosphorus”

From A Sultan’s Pen, Prisoners in the Gilded Cage on the Bosphorus

By Cemil Özyurt - Murad V, (1840-1904), Ottoman sultan from May to August 1876, whose liberal disposition brought him to the throne after the deposition of his uncle Abdülaziz. Abdülaziz’ deposition by a group of ministers led by Midhat Paşa, the great advocate of constitutional government, Murad was brought to the throne. The new sultan was determined to introduce constitutional reforms, but, under the impact of Abdülaziz’ suicide and the murder of some of his key ministers, Murad suffered mental collapse. After declaration by Turkish and foreign doctors that his illness was incurable, Murad was deposed by the same men who had brought him to the throne. During the reign (1876–1909) of his brother Abdülhamid II, several attempts to restore him to the throne failed, and he spent the remaining years of his life confined in the Çırağan Palace. Languishing behind the high walls and heavily-guarded gates of the Çırağan Palace are the former Sultan Murad V and his family. This palace on the shores of the Bosphorus has been their ‘gilded cage’ for nearly thirty years: ever since Murad’s deposition in 1876, they have been held in strict confinement on the orders of his younger brother, the autocratic ruler Sultan Abdülhamid II.

It’s not a common writing a story, novel or diary for members of Ottoman family. Not more members of the Imperial family put pen to paper in order to record their unique memories and fascinating stories. To honour the memory of her great-great-great-grandfather, Ayşe Gülnev Osmanoğlu wrote a novel, “The Gilded Cage on the Bosphorus” and she decided to make the book available to purchase on 7th July 2020 – in honour of his father’s 80th Birthday. She says: “In memory of all who once lived as prisoners in the Çırağan Palace, especially His Imperial Majesty Sultan Murad V. You will never be forgotten ghosts and shadows – instead your memory lives on in the hearts and souls of your descendants…” Osmanoğlu answered TURKOFAMERICA’s questions.

December 28, 2022
Published in Entertainment
Written by Admin TOA

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Aziz Gürbüz after living in Germany and Belgium, he moved to New Jersey in 2014. (Photo by KORAY KASAP) RESIMALTI 2: “I was successful in the restaurant business in Europe, and I wanted to continue it here as well,’ Gürbüz says. (Photo by KORAY KASAP)

Experiencing Europe and America through Restaurant Business

Most of the Syriac community who left Mardin for several reasons came to Europe and some to the United States. Aziz Gürbüz is one of the names who have both European and American experience.
Originally from Altıntaş village of Midyat district of Mardin province. He still has not broken his ties with his village. Last summer, he sent his wife and son Gabriel to Mor Gabriel Church in Midyat for summer camp, so that he could get to know the Syriac culture and understand the religious values.

December 27, 2022
Published in Restaurants
Written by Admin TOA

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NYC Mayor Adams attends Turkish Parade

The annual New York Turkish Day Parade was held in Manhattan after a two-year break due to the pandemic. The Parade started on East 53rd Street on Madison Avenue and ended in Dag Hammarskjold Plaza, opposite the United Nations building.

The 39th Turkish Day Parade was held with the theme, 'Towards the Centenary with the Crescent and Star', under the coordination of the Directorate of Communications of the Presidency of the Republic of Turkey. More than 50 organizations and associations from the US and Turkey attended the Parade.

The Janissary Band within the Istanbul Historical Turkish Music Ensemble of the Ministry of Culture and Tourism also appeared in the Parade. The folk dance groups from Konya Seljuk University and Izmir Dance and Arts performed in the events organized within the 39th Turkish Day Parade.

New York City Mayor Eric Adams also attended the Turkish Parade and addressed the Turkish-American community. He stated that he valued the Turkish community in the US and said: "I am happy to be celebrating the Turkish parade with you on this beautiful day."

New York City Mayor Eric Adams told Turk of America Journalist Ali Cinar that "I'm a friend of the Turkish people here and abroad. I have a large Turkish population that lives in New York, probably one of the largest in our country,"

At the Parade festival at Dag Hammarskjold at 2nd Avenue and 47th Street, Manhattan, Turkish Ambassador Murat Mercan addressed the Turkish-American community and said: "We aim to conserve and pass down our Turkish identity to the future generations. Our unity and solidarity will grow stronger thanks to this Parade. I would like to thank all of our associations who have contributed to the event."

May 22, 2022
Published in Culture & Art
Written by Ali Cinar

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Tony’s Art: Loud, Colorful, and All-Embracing

A talented abstract painter whose vivid and vibrant art exists in three dimensions simultaneously. Tony Şeker is a New York-based multicultural artist who was born in Beirut, Lebanon in 1961 while his father was working at a multinational company. Due to the critical and unpleasant situation in his home country, caused by the civil war in 1975, Tony Şeker’s family had to migrate. First, they moved to Europe than settled in Ohio. He studied math in France and had an MBA degree from Rutgers University. He moved to Cliffside Park, NJ in 1977.

September 13, 2021
Published in Culture & Art
Written by Admin TOA

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How to Say Proper Goodbye to a Perfectionist Chef, Orhan Yegen

By Esra Ürkmez - Turkish food world lost its biggest ambassador in America. People who knew Orhan Ağabey will sympathize with me on how hard it is to summarize such a genius, an artist, a perfectionist in few paragraphs, but I will try and do my best as also being his friend and his old-time employee. Chef Orhan, son of a surgeon father, was born in Istanbul, Turkey and raised in Adana. He moved to the United States in 1977 due to growing political turmoil in Turkey at the time. His adventure in the States started with working as a busboy and reached a point where he became an ambassador of Turkish food with the restaurants he opened in New York, Deniz, Bi Lokma, Dervish, Efendi, Francela, Sip Sak, and Lokanta.

September 13, 2021
Published in Restaurants
Written by Admin TOA

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Upper East Side Turkish restaurant Beyoglu won't reopen due to damages caused by the coronavirus.

UES Turkish Restaurant Beyoglu Closes Amid Coronavirus Crisis

UPPER EAST SIDE, NY — Popular Upper East Side Turkish restaurant Beyoglu will close after more than 20 years in business due to the financial fallout caused by the outbreak of coronavirus in New York City, according to a letter posted in the restaurant's window. The Third Avenue and East 81st Street restaurant — which did not offer delivery before social distancing measures forced restaurants to convert entirely to takeout and delivery — was unable to secure a new lease amid the virus' outbreak, according to the letter.

March 12, 2021
Published in Restaurants
Written by Admin TOA

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beyoglu restaurant

Empire State Realty Trust Renews Pera Mediterranean Brasserie at One Grand Central Place

NEW YORK, Jan. 26, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Empire State Realty Trust, Inc. (NYSE: ESRT) announced today that Pera Mediterranean Brasserie, the critically acclaimed restaurant from BK Restaurant Partners, has renewed its lease at One Grand Central Place. "Pera Mediterranean Brasserie provides the tenants of One Grand Central Place with an upscale eastern Mediterranean restaurant experience," said Fred C. Posniak, Senior Vice President, Leasing, for ESRT. "Whether it's for a business lunch or casual dinner, our tenants and locals love Pera's food and service." "As everyone knows, it has been a very difficult time for restaurants, and we were thrilled to work with such an innovative and forward-thinking landlord like ESRT to structure a deal that worked for all parties," said Burak Karacam, Managing Partner, Pera Mediterranean Brasserie.

January 27, 2021
Published in Restaurants
Written by Admin TOA

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