Lalezar may be the only place you can sample turnip juice in town; seems it's a cold drink favorite in Turkey, in additon to cherry, apricot and peach juice. After planning to
try the young Turk in Montclair's dining scene, I was finally lured by a banner sign proclaiming lunch for $8.95. For that price, you get a more limited menu and the choice of an appetizer and an entree (or four cold appetizers to make a meal). Fried eggplant in a fresh tomato sauce provided ample excuse to dive into a bread basket filled with crusty studded with black sesame seeds. We then sampled the tradition doner kebab, which was a generous serving of lamb and beef cooked on a vertical grill (or, as most of us know it as, "gyro" meat). 
The Greek in me craved some tzatziki sauce to go with the huge plate of meat (served with salad and that's bulgur pilaf underneath). The closest thing to that is the iskender kebab, which is served on toasted pita bread with freshly made yogurt sauce. Another lunch entree, tavuk sis, sounds exotic, but is actually cubes of chicken breast, marinated and grilled with special seasonings. A quiet spot for lunch, Lalezar also offers a takeout menu, which states that you can take 10% off listed prices. With its evocative Middle Eastern decor, sitting in Lalezar, you almost forget you're on bustling Bloomfield Ave., and half expect to see belly dancers. Lalezar's takeout menu offers falafel or the doner sandwich (a.k.a. gyro) to go, an option if you aren't already a die-hard fan of Beyond Pita on Church Street.
Lalezar, 720 Bloomfield Ave., Montclair, 973.233.1984
Lalezar was a really pleasant surprise for lunch earlier this week. Don't miss the Acili Ezme appetizer -- a mixture of minced tomato, olives, nuts and parsley with more than a hint of spice -- yummy!