National Gyro Day may be one of the lesser-known food holidays, but gyro—the savory Greek street food—deserves a turn in the spotlight.
Gyro is the Greek word for “turn,” which is appropriate because this dish cooks on a rotating, vertical rotisserie. The meat—whether pork, lamb, beef or a blend—is carved into slices and often prepared as a sandwich with pita bread and tzatziki, a tangy cucumber-yogurt sauce.
These seven Baton Rouge restaurants offer their own spin on gyro for the Friday celebration:
|
|
|
Gyro Pizza at Zoroona Mediterranean Grill
If you need an excuse to eat pizza, National Gyro Day can be it. Head on over to Zoroona Mediterranean Grill on Friday evening for the Gyro Pizza. That’s right. On Zoroona’s dinner menu, this thin-crust pizza comes with your choice of tomato sauce or pesto, gyro strips and melted cheese on top.
Alfredo Penne Pasta with gyros at Albasha Greek & Lebanese Restaurant
Take a cue from 225 readers, who voted Albasha as the city’s best Mediterranean restaurant in the 2017 Best of 225 Awards. While Albasha’s menu includes several traditional Greek and Lebanese foods, the Alfredo Penne Pasta goes against the grain, pairing crispy gyro with pasta and a creamy sauce. This entree comes with a feta salad.
Gyros Sandwich at New Orleans Poboys and Gyros
This sandwich is called the house speciality at New Orleans Poboys and Gyros for a reason. Filled with meat, wrapped in pita bread, and topped with lettuce, tomato and a dollop of tzatziki sauce, this sandwich is the kind of grab-and-go food that makes you want to go back for more.
Combination Souvlaki at Zorba’s Greek Bistro
Souvlaki, meat and vegetable kebabs, is another popular street food in Greece. Try Zorba’s take with the combination souvlaki: slices of gyros, beef and chicken. The entree comes with a salad, rice and grilled vegetables at lunch or a salad and roasted potatoes at dinner.
|
|
|
Gyros Salad at Serop’s Cafe
Serop’s Cafe has been in business since 1979 and it’s still fresh. Serop’s dishes out feta, fattoush and house salads that can be topped with gyros meat. Try the fattoush, a traditional Middle Eastern salad with crispy pita bread, diced tomatoes and feta dressing over lettuce. Adding Serop’s gyros makes it even better.
Gyros Pizza at Arzi’s Cafe
If you’ve still got pizza on the mind, you might also opt for the Gyros Pizza at Arzi’s Cafe. Like a cross between pizza and a gyros wrap, this meat- and cheese-topped pizza trades dough for a whole-wheat pita crust. Like traditional gyros, it’s also topped with veggies (tomatoes, mushrooms and onions to be exact).
Gyros Plate at Roman’s Cafe
Gyros plates are a menu staple at Baton Rouge’s Greek-inspired restaurants. Served with basmati rice, hummus, feta salad, tzatziki and pita bread on the side, the thin slices of meat and grilled onions on the Gyros Plate at Roman’s Cafe set this meal apart from the rest.