Istanbull Grill

[trufflehound]

I happened to be in Agawam and stopped by Istanbull Grill, http://www.istanbulgrillagawam.com,
And enjoyed a fresh, tasty Doner kabob. The menu looks interesting and the hospitable hostess offered my a glass of Turkish tea while I waited.
If I lived in the neighborhood I would be a regular.

[fame da lupo]

This should be on the list of everyone who lives in the greater Springfield area/Pioneer Valley. Worth a drive down from Northampton. The lentil soup (you haven't had lentil soup like this before) and the Adana kebap (spicy) are delicious. The lahmacun (Turkish pizza) is decent but needs a better char on the crust.

Turkish food in general does not get enough praise in the US as it ought - give this one a try and see.

365 Walnut Street Ext Agawam, MA 01001
[phone]

[trufflehound]

Assuming lahmacun is like lamejun and lahma bi agin, there usually isn't much char on the crust and it's soft.

[fame da lupo]

I haven't had the non-Turkish variants, but lahmacun varies according to the inclinations of the usta. Some are quite crispy whereas others are soft (I prefer soft). Sort of like the difference between a Roman and a Naples style pizza, respectively. Neither version, however, is doughy and spongy as the lahmacun at Istanbul Grill. Even a soft lahmacun should have color on the crust and some structural contrast in the chew.

Over at Istanbul Eats they have a nice writeup contrasting the possibilities: http://istanbuleats.com/2011/03/istan...