So, I've decided to keep a running track of all the gyros I've had and rank them per my taste buds. I like to break things down to each component of the gyro and comment on each, then as a whole.
The pita is the most consistent part of all the gyro's I've had. It should be soft, not too hot, and easy to tear with not so sharp teeth. If a place screws up the pita, there are in trouble.
Next is the meat, oh the meat! Tender, and full of flavor the meat is the heart of the gyro and for the most part is also fairly consistent which each place. It's important to mention the size of pieces on the gyro. I've had a few where the pieces were too big for one bite, and that's not good. You don't want to have to tear a piece in two, or worse, as you bite and pull the gyro away from your mouth end up pulling extra chunks of meat out falling to the table (if you eat over your plate that is). So bite size meat chunks is a must.
The toppings. This is subject to every one's personal taste, but there are a few things I feel are a must on a gyro. Tomatoes and the sauce are at the top. Onions are a tough one, and the banana peppers, so far only found at Fedoras, are icing on the cake.
The tomatoes are easy, but I'm surprised how many places screw them up. A sliced tomato is a no-no, and big chunks are not good either. The tomatoes should be small bite sized pieces that can be taken in with the bite, not worked in with effort on each bite. The center of the tomato doesn't do much in a gyro (too gooey), so stick with the outer portion please! The placement of the tomato is also a biggie. Many places put them on top, but then you don't get anything when you are on the bottom of the gyro. So spread them around so they can be easily had on each and every bite.
The onions are tough because many people don't like them. The trick to utilizing onions is to add the flavor without jumping out and watering eyes. Small pieces spread throughout the gyro is in my opinion the only way to add them. I myself do not like raw onions, but if used this way I don't really notice them, but they do add some flavor that is welcomed. What not to do, same things as the tomatoes, no big pieces, and not all on top or bottom.
Sauce: WOW, how can so many places screw this up? First off, sauce is a must, whether it's the white or red sauce. I myself prefer the white (cucumber) and feel it's the only way to go. Second, if the sauces flavor does not jump out at you then find another sauce or work on your recipe. I've had quite a few gyros that the only thing the sauce offered was a cool creamy feeling in my mouth, no actual taste. I didn't understand it. The placement and amount is very critical. The sauce should be available on every bite and never over powering. The biggest mistake I've found is having all the sauce on either the top or bottom of the gyro. What in the world are these people thinking? It's so easy to spread the sauce before you wrap the gyro up, so just do it people!
Extras include the banana peppers found so far only at Fedoras. These peppers are so good and I wish everyone would try them at least once. If taken in smaller bites they aren't over powering and offer up a great sweetness to the package. They need to be sliced up in smaller bites and spread throughout for the best effect. I also like to add hot sauce to my gyros, but that's just me. The last is a house dressing type sauce that is so far only at Fedoras. This is good stuff, but be careful because if you get the gyro to go as I do often there, the sauce can soften up the pita too much. This should be applied on top of the gyro to soak down through the meat.
Here's what I got so far in the order of digestion:
Fedoras (Chillicothe and Peoria IL): THE GYRO that started it all. First off, I always get the deluxe which as extra meat, tomatoes, banana peppers, onions, and the cucumber sauce on the side. At $5 1/2 (not sure the actual price but this is close) it's a bargain! The size is the first thing that grabs you, it's huge, enough meat to make an entire 2nd gyro. In fact Carrie and her Mom get the deluxe with an extra pita and share it, and usually never finish their halves. Ok, lets break it down now. Fedoras' pita is just right, easy enough. The meat is tender and good, pretty much on par with everyone else. The chunks of tomatoes are great, the onions are good but sometimes a little to long and stringy, the sauce on the side is wonderful and probably the best so far. They do use both banana peppers and their house dressing which add some fabulous flavor. Overall this is the best gyro I've had mainly due to the size and bargain it is. Perfect, not exactly, but what is perfect anyways?
Yannis Greek Cafe (Salt Lake City): So upon arriving to SLC I was thinking about trying to find a gyro place so I jumped online and started a search which led me to Yannis. "The best gyro in SLC" many people said. I was excited to say the least. What a bummer!!!! The gyro was over $5, and about the size of a taco, like a Taco Bell taco at that. The pita and meat were good, but the sauce was boring and smothered on top like I hate. I left hungry and majorly disappointed never returning again.
Crown Burger (Salt Lake City): Directly after Yannis and went to C.B. planning on having a burger, but when I saw they had a gyro on the menu I immediately decided I better have one. I was rather impressed with C.B. since they don't specialize in Greek food. The downfalls where similar to Yannis though, first and foremost being too small. The meat and pita were good, toppings ok, but just not worth the money for this little guy.
Mad Greek (Salt Lake City): I saw their commercial on TV and went looking for them! Once again pretty typical SLC gyro, not all that big but good. Their sauce was on the bottom of the gyro so the top half didn't get any. Why would they do this? Price was sub $5, but still not near the top of my list.
Greek City Grill (Salt Lake City): I just happened to stumble on this new joint, only 2 months old at the time of my visit. Owned by actual Italians their gyro was the best of SLC, but still fell short of Fedoras. The size was the main difference from their competitors along with a decent price for the added size. The pita had some strange salt size crumbles on it that stuck to my hands, kinda annoying. It felt more dry and hotter than others too. I like my pita soft and just warm.
Greek Soulvakia 1 (Salt Lake City): One of the originals in SLC I was really excited about this visit. The place was packed so I new it had to be good. Again, this gyro could be lumped in with all the others, except for Greek City Grill because of the size. Once again I left hungry because the gyro was just too small. The taste of the meat was good, but they put sliced tomatoes on top along with all the sauce. Not a good combination for me. Disappointing.
Apparently SLC does not know what a GOOD gyro is???
...to be continued
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