Mexico has a unique affinity for turkey turnover. The dish is held in such regard that people celebrate it with an annual feast.

Well, sort of.

The Turkey Turnover Dinner began as a fundraiser hosted by the local Community Teachers Association. And it still serves that purpose.

But since 1967, the CTA has not dared to serve up anything else.

There are more examples of the city's love for the portable pie. It's the only school lunch meal many recall fondly. Matt Pilger of KXEO radio lauds the dish as his favorite, rivaled only by bacon. And just try ordering a turkey turnover at Bucky's Sit or Get if running late for lunch.

Bucky's doesn't even list the dish on its regular menu. Instead it pops up on the whiteboard every other Thursday.

The attraction is a pie brawny in appearance yet ever so delicate in demeanor. The crust is a frail veneer – flaky, with a mellow, nutty haze – while the meat pulls apart at the touch of a fork.

Chef and owner Becky Steinman blends white and dark meat to a neat effect. A creamy note tempers the hardy savor of the ruddy dark flesh.

Gravy ladled over the turnover wavers somewhere in between. It's mild temper complements the white meat. The velvety feel favors the crust. Meanwhile a muffled wheeze of pepper lurks quietly with the earthy dark.

There's wisdom in her touch with the gravy. Something more assertive would smother all that's good in the turnover.

Steinman couldn't keep the hushed lunch special from the turnover-hungry public for long. Drop by toward the end of lunch rush you may be lucky. After that, it's a two week wait for another try.