Pasha Kebob fit for King of N. Lindenhurst
Pasha Kebob and Grill in North Lindenhurst specializes in Turkish food, April 4, 2014. Credit: Newsday / Erica Marcus
I don’t want to think about how many times I’ve driven by Pasha Kebob and Grill, located in a modest strip mall on Route 109 at the intersection of Straight Path in North Lindenhurst. It’s a tricky left turn from the northbound road, so that’s going to be my excuse.
Today I stopped into the little Turkish takeout market and ordered three platters to go: Adana kebab, chicken and gyro. The Adana — ground lamb combined with hot red pepper — was terrific. The chicken — moist, skinless thighs with a nice char — was terrific. The gyro — sliced off a rotating column of beef and lamb — was only pretty good. Lacking both juice and char, it struck only one gray, lamby note.
Each platter came with a yeasty, fresh-baked Turkish bread, a bright tomato-cucumber-onion salad served on leaf lettuce, and rice. The rice deserves special mention. When they make rice, the Turks start out by sautéing a few spoonfuls of ?ehriye (an orzo-like pasta) until it colors. Then they add the rice and water. The resultant pilaf features snowy white rice punctuated by little golden slivers. It was especially delicious at Pasha.
The quality of food at little Turkish takeout markets is uniformly high, and Long Island is fortunate to have a number of them. Three favorites are Mekan in Medford, Turkuaz in West Hempstead and Nazar in North Babylon. I’ll be adding Pasha to the list.
Pasha Kebob and Grill is at 656 route 109, North Lindenhurst, 631-225-7499, kebobtonight.com
