SAVE ISTANBUL PARK! SAVE ISTANBUL PARK!

These kebabs are not from Istanbul Park...but shit there is even *better* than these mofos. Guaranteed.

If you’re still wandering all the way over to Zaytoon on Smith St. for your falafel fix, two words: Fuck you.

Seriously.

Each time you make your way over to Boerum Hill for some cheap shawarma lovin’, a very important piece of Park Slope dies.

I’m talking about Istanbul Park (previously mentioned and loved on), which inhabits the space on 7th Ave. formerly occupied by No No Kitchen. Istanbul is all sorts of awesome: otherworldly chicken kebab, perfectly good ghanoush and an array of lamb dishes that make me wonder if the animals were raised on beer and daily massages, just like Kobe cows. This food is seriously good--and cheap. And yet, the place is always empty.

Listen up, people: This food is about as good as it gets in this neighborhood. And it’s BYO. You hear that? Bring. Your. Own. On a recent visit by four of us we ate like future Biggest Loser contestants, with two bottles of wine (I wasn’t running out in the cold again for a third, fuck that), for a grand total of about $50.

Yes, I’ll admit. Zaytoon is fantastic. But going all the way over there for milk when the goddamn cow is right here on this side of the Gowanus, is just insane.

Granted, I have no evidence--other than the restaurant’s emptiness--that Istanbuk Park is hurting, but for chrissakes, give it a little encouragement! Go eat there. Now. And get wasted while you’re there for no serious additional outlay of cash.

Be nice to Eric, and buy his book First Big Crush: The Down and Dirty on Making Great Wine Down Under. You know you wanna.