"Turkish Cuisine" was the only thing I needed to see to make up mind what I was having for lunch. I was in Petaluma for the Cowgirl Creamery tour and just about three blocks away was Real Doner, a Turkish delight just south of downtown.

Having grown up in Saudi Arabia, I have a love and appreciation for Middle Eastern and Mediterranean foods. There is a lot of crossover or blending of the foods as you travel through the different regions, countries, and religious backgrounds. A Christian Palestinian has a similar kebab dish to an Iranian Muslim's. A Greek gyro is similar to an Arab shwarma.

Anyone who knows me knows that I'm a big fan of the Selland Family restaurants: Ella, The Kitchen, and Selland Market Cafes. You can therefore consider this a biased review if you want, especially when you add the fact that I've become friendly with Gina, Selland family member and their social media maven.

The Twitterati lunch crew (which sometimes includes Gina) were out for lunch at Ella one weekday because a few of us were wanting to have the weekday lunch special. The lunch specials are $15 and usually include an entree and a salad or an entree and a beverage. The month of April has been lamb month and so the special was a lamb sandwich and a virgin mint julep. I'm a big lamb fan, and so I had to get one sometime during the month.

Not everyone chose the lamb special, especially since it was still Lent and a Friday. We were also treated with extra dishes courtesy of Gina. I want to thank her for that because I got to try something new - more on that in a moment.

Old Sacramento may be meant primarily for tourists and school excursions, but there are still reasons for us locals to stop by once in a while. Evangeline's is good throughout the year and not just at Halloween. Strolling down the waterfront is nice exercise on a sunny day. People that work in the vicinity can find some good lunch deals as well. 

Bordering the east side of the railroad tracks are the old railroad storage sheds that have been converted into shops and eateries. Over the years many of the businesses have closed, not being able to survive on tourists alone, especially during the off season. One eatery that has survived over the years is the Indo Cafe, located at the south end of the sheds.

I tend to make the trek to Old Sac for lunch on the occasional sunny day and if it's been a long time, I often wonder if it's still going to be there. Thankfully it is.