If I lived or worked near Turn Key, I would hang out there all the time for its hip vibe, great food and excellent cocktails. It’s located in a historic building on E. Washington Avenue and has a giant (free) parking lot in the back.
The cheese puppies ($12) are a good way to start your meal. The white and yellow cheese curds are encrusted with cornmeal and deep-fried. They tasted more like hush puppies than cheese curds, and some of them are sprinkled with tomato powder.
Entrees include rainbow trout ($25), a boneless pork chop ($31) and tagliatelle ($25). I had the lamb merguez sausage ($18), which is no longer on the menu. The sausage had tasty spices to accentuate the lamb flavor, and the fried shallots on top added a nice crunch to this sandwich. Apparently, there was lemon aioli on it, but I couldn’t discern it.
I also liked the Another Idea Burger ($18). The patties were perfectly fried, though I would have liked them a little greasier(!), and they’re enhanced with the Colby cheese, house key sauce, red onions and pickles. This burger has now been replaced by the Supper Club Smash Burger, which includes bacon and smoked gouda.
Come on a Sunday night when you get pizza by the slice ($7). The crust is so tasty, with a bit of crunch plus a good chew. Note, the small squares aren’t enough for a meal, so order a couple of slices or pair them with an appetizer.
The vegan slice, topped with green olives, asparagus, onions and pea shoots, was very good. In fact, I was surprised at how well these veggies meshed. As for the meat slice, I enjoyed the single slice of potato and cubes of bacon, though I wished there were more of each. The cheese sauce on top was a nice touch.
On the main level is a giant bar that takes up the majority of the dining room. With it comes a lengthy cocktail list. The Homesick at Space Camp ($12) mixes gin with sherry, rhubarb, grapefruit, lemon and ginger. The drink was fairly sweet, and the grapefruit flavor stood out.
Another amusingly named cocktail was the East Wash Banana Stand ($12). The smokiness from the mezcal masks the banana, pineapple and lime flavors, but it was still refreshing. Next time I’ll try the Cucumber Surfboard ($12), a concoction of gin, Suze (an aperitif), dry vermouth and apricot.
Turn Key serves dinner on Tuesday-Sunday and brunch on Sunday.
