Turkish Cuisine at Tulip, Milwaukee

Last Friday, "Stairwell Guy" and I drove over to Tulip (a little over a mile from my place) to help my friend Phi celebrate her birthday.  We were the first to arrive, just moments before 7PM, and we took in the atmosphere.  Tulip is an expansive space, casually yet elegantly decorated with a friendly staff.Once the other 20 people showed up - yes, Phi and her husband have loads of friends and family who turned out for this event! - we found our way to a large table off to the side of the restaurant.  It was somewhat secluded, and perfect for our party. The crowd was fully of friendly and engaging folks, making the evening comfortable and fun.  Lots of conversations happening in smaller groups all night.Jeff and I had trouble deciding what to order because so many things sounded interesting and several items came personally and highly recommended by Phi and others.Ultimately, Jeff landed on the Iskender (marinated lamb and beef roast, sliced thin and piled atop chopped pita bread.  covered with savory tomato sauce and drizzled with butter with yogurt on the side).  This was a heaping plate of meat that I wasn't sure Jeff could finish.  I was wrong.  :-)We both thought the Kayisili Tavuk Sarma (boneless chicken breast flattened and filled with crushed pistachio and apricot, rolled and baked to perfection) sounded intriguing, so I decided to order it (with rice pilaf on the side).  The chicken was moist and the filling was flavorful.  The portion was a bit too much for me, so I slyly slid two chicken rolls onto Jeff's plate, which he eagerly ate.I also tried a bite of Phi's Doner (Turkish Gyro: marinated lamb and beef roast, sliced thin and served atop of bed of lavosh bread), which was quite yummy as well!As I looked around, nearly every plate was completely clean.  It seemed that everyone enjoyed their meals.  And, for a group of 22 people, I have to say that the service was quite impressive.It's nice to know there is a good Turkish option close to home, though a bit "off the beaten path", so to speak.  It's in the Historic 3rd Ward neighborhood, but not on the main drag.  It's worth checking out, in my opinion.Have you tried Turkish food before?  Do you have a favorite dish?  Would love to hear from you!Cheers!Ker