la.foodblogging

Adana Restaurant
6918 San Fernando Rd., Glendale 91201
Lunch: $10/person; Dinner: under $20/person

The first time I went to Adana, I was told we would probably be the only people eating there. While a statement like that would usually make me wary of a new restaurant, it came from one of my most trusted eating buddies, so I thought I’d give him the benefit of the doubt and tag along. How awkward could it be?

Well, I can’t say I wasn’t expecting it. We were the only two people eating in the restaurant. It was terribly awkward in the same way that being the first two people at a surprise party is awkward. We even lowered our voices to match the timbre of the room as I tried in vain to hide the irresistible smirk of disbelief from my compatriot. This was hardly the half of it, though.

I don’t think the ovens were even on when we walked in. They didn’t have most of the items on the menu. In order to serve us properly, one of the owners went into the supply closet to fish out two plates, just for us. Somehow, this how they have existed (reportedly) for the past ten years. What on earth did I get myself into?

True to my friend’s word, however, the proof was on the plate. The meat cuts are on the cheap side (boned chicken thighs, beef flank steak), but still the flavor leaps off of them like you wouldn’t expect. Each entree comes with saffron rice, a vegetable side, and some really good hummus, which, all told, is quite a bucketload of food. As bang for your buck goes, it’s really a steal for lunch, and very reasonable for dinner — there are usually enough leftovers for a second meal. I still call up my friend periodically asking, “hey, you want to do Adana?” despite that first experience, because frankly, the rush is addicting. The Adana experience is not simply that of eating in an empty restaurant; it is much like putting the act of eating under a microscope, or, if you prefer:

• Eating in a furniture store after hours.
• Travelling back in time and spying on yourself eating a meal.
• Chewing into a microphone, with the only real ambient noise being the occasional swoosh of a passing car which you could choose to convince yourself was the sound of the ocean.

I don’t think I have ever had a meal like that before, and I probably won’t have another meal like that anytime soon (except during return trips to Adana). Still, I wonder if there are more Adanas sprinkled throughout the area, just waiting to be discovered and tasted.

sneakypeteiii is a doctoral student in Chemistry at Caltech. He has been eating since he was a child, and reckons himself quite good at it. (see more of his posts).