On the way through Indy today we had planned on stopping in for lunch at PF Chang’s, but this being New Year’s Eve, a traditional day to eat Chinese food, it was mobbed. We weren’t willing to wait, so we drove on. Then we spied Istanbul Cafe on 86th Street and saw there was no crowd (in fact, it was deserted), so we stopped in. Sometimes fate deals you a great hand. We had the best lunch there. We both ordered the lunch special for $11. For this you get a choice of soup, salad, or hummus and a choice of various entrees. We both opted for the salad. Sarah picked the Vegetarian Cabbage Rolls and I had the Doner Kebab, which was gyro meat and rice. Both meals came with sautéed vegetables. We also got a very generous basket of hot pitas with oil and garlic for dipping.
First off, the salads were superb. They were nothing special as far as the main ingredients, just field greens, tomatoes, and cucumbers, but the dressing and seasoning were exquisite. The waiter told me it was simply a combination of olive oil, lemon juice, and vinegar, but there was also some very tasty seasoning and they must have just sprayed on the dressing, as it was very lightly applied. The effect was amazing, though. So much taste in so light a salad.
The warm pitas and oil were perfect with the salad and with the meals. Sarah’s cabbage rolls were actually quite good (I don’t normally like cabbage rolls) and my doner kebab was excellent. Very generous portions, too. We both brought home some to enjoy later. And lest I forget, the sautéed vegetables were also very good. Possibly a similar oil/lemon juice combo for sautéing as they used on the salad dressing. As I always try to order a drink from the restaurant’s theme country, I opted for an Efes Turkish Pilsner. It, like the rest of the meal, was perfect. Istanbul Cafe just made our list of favorite places to eat in Indy. Can’t wait to go back.
