Midtown Lunch

I was a big fan of Schnitzel & Things, so when its brick and mortar location just a block from my office shut down this year, I was pretty disappointed. My interest wasn’t too piqued when an advertisement for a Mediterranean restaurant appeared at the location a bit later. I’d expected they would sell food similar to what you can get at most carts in Midtown. So when Adana Grill (3rd Ave btw 45th+46th)finally opened, boasting a menu of Turkish grilled meat dishes, I was pleasantly surprised.

Adana Grill has a pretty substantial menu, like you might expect at a traditional sit-down Turkish restaurants. The prices, unfortunately, are pretty expensive, with platters costing well over the ML limit and appetizers costing around $ or $5. Thankfully, the sandwiches are just below the $10 mark.

There are plenty of options, from lamb kebab to chicken doner, but I couldn’t resist the namesake lamb adana – hand-chopped lamb mixed with red peppers and grilled on a skewer. The adana is well-spiced and flavorful, cooked so it stays nice and juicy. Along for the ride are chopped tomatoes, lettuce, and red cabbage, but each takes a backseat to that tasty, spicy lamb. You hardly need the hot sauce it comes with, but it makes a nice addition along with yogurt sauce. The sandwich comes in a pita pocket that’s alright, but nothing special. It doesn’t quite stand up to the juicy meat and other fixings.

For $7.98 before tax, it’s on the pricey side, but still a substantial sandwich. In my opinion, it’s well worth the expense, especially since there aren’t many other places in the area offering Turkish food at ML prices.

Adana Grill’s falafel is also pretty good, but priced at $6.98, doesn’t quite measure up to other options in the area, like Chopita or Crisp. It’s the style of falafel sandwich you can get for much cheaper at a street cart.

It might be too pricey for some MLers who want more than a pita sandwich for lunch, but for fans of doner, shawarma, and other Mediterranean-style grilled and roasted meats, the different options available at Adana Grill should be a welcome addition to the Midtown East area.

Adana Grill, 723 3rd Ave. (btw. 45+46th)