In which I tell you all about my new restaurant crush.

I just drove up Burlington street to the Istanbul Grill and ordered lunch. For $5.95 I got a falafel pita, fries, and a cup of lentil soup. Vegetarian lentil soup, even!

They forgot to give me a spoon, but I still *heart* them.

They put “kisir” on their menu instead of “tabouli,” so I assume they’re Turkish. (Kisir isn’t exactly tabouli – it’s got red pepper paste and lettuce in it – but it’s still a delicious, wonderful bulgar-based salad with lemon-and-olive oil dressing and I’m so glad I can buy some in town again. It takes forever to make.)

Their tahini appears to be homemade. I’ve never had tahini like this before, it’s really thick and wonderful.

The streets around their building have been blocked off (due to road construction) since they opened, but the parking strip was full today anyway and all but three tables were occupied for lunch. That people are willing to go there even though it’s a pain to do so is a good sign!

I could so live on Mediterranean food. Now that Istanbul Grill is open, I may be able to do so all! Summer! Long!

The list of reasons not to live in Fairfield is almost endlessly long, but for a tiny town in Iowa we do have great restaurants. Mexican, Thai, Indian, and because of the meditating community all of them are well-trained to cater to vegetarians. It’s really pretty awesome, now that I ponder it.