Nazif's, Thanh Phuong and More

Press critic Katharine Shilcutt reviews Nazif's Turkish Grill & Deli this week, where she finds properly made Turkish classics and good value on the lunch menu. "Along with the enormous plate of pideli köfte, my $14 lunch special had included a big bowl of Turkish shepherd's salad — cucumbers, tomatoes, onions and more — and a large slice of baklava, plus unlimited refills of Turkish tea, which I drank from my tulip-shaped glass greedily. My friend's lunch special cost a few dollars less but somehow came with even more food: a sausage pide, more salad, crispy French fries and soft, jiggly rice pudding."

While Chronicle restaurant reviewer Alison Cook likes some of the wild game dishes at Pearland Vietnamese restaurant Thanh Phuong, she only awards one star to the Eater 38 member due to finding the dishes to be too sweet overall. "The trick at Thanh Phuong, for diners who don't have a sweet tooth, is to work around this penchant. I always ask for a little cup of salt and pepper to make a tart dip with fresh lime segments, even if it's not offered with a dish; and I tinker with soy and fish sauce and hot red chili oil to try to get a balance of flavors that suits me better."

The Blogs: Patty and David visit food truck Monster PBJ, where they wonder why a truck with so much purple doesn't serve grape jelly. Catherine Martin uses a visit to the Egg & I to complain about New Mexico and try to seek an endorsement deal from Smuckers. Urban Swank checks out food truck Flip 'n Patties.