Out to Lunch: Ayhan's Shish Kebab

"Shish," as we colloquially call it, has been a staple in Port Washington for years, and is still going strong.

The interior is charming – but be sure to ask to be seated in the back rather than the front, which can be a bit dark. The back area, with its white-washed stucco walls decorated with photographs of the Mediterranean, wine racks and ivy, is absolutely lovely. Skylights keep it bright and cheerful, and the Greek music playing in the background just adds to the feeling that you've somehow escaped Long Island and are now in a café on a Greek island somewhere.

Ayhan's Shish Kebab's lunch menu is exceptionally diverse. You can eat there (and I have) several times a week and have very different fare. On this visit, there was the regular lunch menu, which takes up a full page of the regular menu, plus a full-page handout of other lunch specials. In addition, the chalkboards around the restaurant announced "Special – complimentary soup or salad with any lunch." Such a deal.

Lunch is served Monday through Saturday from 11 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. -- very generous lunch hours. Lunch prices range from $8 to $10, with most meals costing around $9.

Some of the members of the wait staff have been around as long as I've been visiting Shish (over 15 years), which I take as a good sign. On this visit, my companions and I were seated immediately. The restaurant was relatively quiet for a Friday at noon – with only three or four other tables occupied. After taking our order, the waiter brought out bread and a garlicky cucumber yogurt dip.

Lunch choices include an array of sandwiches (falafel, various kebabs, gyro), salads (Greek, Caesar, Mesclun, Sheppard, or specialty salads topped with salmon, shrimp, chicken or even octopus), and platters (including kebabs, grilled salmon, and much more). Lunch specialties include some traditional Greek favorites such as mousaka (a sort of Mediterranean lasagna) and dolma (stuffed grape leaves) as well as the unexpected, like a black angus burger, fish and chips, or a spinach and feta pizza.

On this trip, I had the Quick Lamb and Beef (doner gyro) platter, which was served with some sautéed vegetables (peas, carrots and cabbage) and a mound of rice pilaf. The meal started with a complimentary bowl of Avgolemone soup, a delicious and flavorful lemony chicken soup with bits of egg (sort of a Mediterranean egg drop soup). One of my companions had the Mercimik (red lentil) soup and exclaimed that it was "wonderful, just wonderful!" My third companion had the Greek salad, which is composed of mostly iceberg lettuce with purple cabbage and a heavy topping of feta cheese.

My main course, the doner platter was excellent — the meat well done, brown and flavorful. Note — this is no diet dish, the meat is inherently rich with oils. One companion had the same meat (lamb and beef doner) but served in a pita bread smothered with sautéed onions and barbecue sauce. This was served with thick steak fries. The meat and onions were a fine combination, but the barbecue sauce was non-existent. My other companion had the falafel sandwich — with spiced and chopped chick peas formed into balls and fried. Those were then put in a pita pocket and topped with salad and tahini sauce. This is a popular vegetarian option. Shish is an excellent place to take people who are vegetarians because of the diverse menu and the numerous vegetarian offerings.

I should note that although I didn't have it on this occasion, the babaganoush at Ayhan's Shish Kebab is probably the best I've had anywhere — rich, smoky roasted eggplant infused with lemon, garlic and olive oil. Other appetizers, such as the hummus and stuffed grape leaves (dolma) are also excellent.

A reasonable price, a beautiful setting, and good food — what more could one ask for? Total cost for lunch for two, including tip — less than $25. Ayhan's Shish Kebab is appropriate for a business lunch, has a parking lot, and we were in and out in under an hour. Lunch portions are ample, and if you have room, the desserts, including Baklava, are wonderful.