When I first started thinking about writing a “Best Of” column, I was eager to begin sampling all kinds of culinary delights and finding a worthwhile excuse to hone my eating skills, expand my restaurant and food repertoire and find yet another reason to continue avoiding cooking my own mediocre food. However, in thinking about the criteria for what makes good food good, I realized there are several factors to consider.
Value, aesthetic appearance, nutritional content and atmosphere are all important in deciding what’s good and what’s not, and it’s important to be able to tell whether or not a dish is well crafted with quality ingredients and all the intended factors combine into a comprehensive whole.
But the most important factor is what the food tastes like. Personal tastes are subjective. But flavor is not subjective, and anyone with a sense of smell can tell whether or not a food is flavorful. Flavors cannot be too overpowering, ingredients must be cooked to perfection and textures cannot clash with one another in unpleasant ways. If even one element is out of proportion, it throws the entire dish out of whack. In eating, the whole really is the sum of its parts.
This is especially true with one favorite of Greek cousins and well-versed eaters everywhere: the gyro (pronounced YEE-roh; get it right). Seemingly a humble Greek staple, this simple sandwich, if done correctly, can make one of the biggest flavor statements this side of the Ionian Sea. A warm, lightly toasted pita, gyro meat (usually a combination of lamb and beef) roasted on a vertical rotisserie, fresh tomatoes, onions and a yogurt-based sauce are the only ingredients required to make a gyro, but striking a perfect balance between this complex mix of flavors and textures is not easy.
In searching for the perfect gyro here in Madison, I had a hard time deciding where to begin, given the plethora of Mediterranean restaurants that exist in the downtown area. I decided to stick with the classic Greek gyro, avoiding the similar but more Arabic-style schwarma offered at both King of Falafel and Mediterranean Cafe. I finally settled on four restaurants: Amy’s Cafe, Campus Biryani & Gyros, newbie OPA and, of course, Parthenon Gyros. The search was on.
Each time I ordered a gyro, it arrived staring up at me, open-faced, demanding a plan of attack in order to be eaten. At Amy’s Cafe, the meat was flavorful, the pita soft and the tomatoes fresh. I didn’t realize that there was a bit too much meat to make the thing edible and a bit too much sauce to make it enjoyable until I noticed I had tzatziki all down my hands and arms and a mess of mashed-up pita bread, gyro meat and sauce crumbled up in my hands. Maybe it was the pita that wasn’t hearty enough to contain all the junk in its trunk, maybe it was simply my technique, but this gyro — although the flavors were wonderful — was a bit off in its proportions and the difficulty in eating it meant it wasn’t quite the best.
My second attempt at finding the perfect gyro came when I sat down at OPA, the fusion restaurant that recently opened on State Street. Although their menu was intriguing and impressive, I knew what I had come for. Excited about potentially getting the chance to yell “OPA!” as I assume all Greeks do when they eat the perfect gyro, I was immediately a bit disappointed when the waitress brought my plate. The gyro was glistening, not with a halo of perfection but with what upon further inspection appeared to be grease. I didn’t see the cooks prepare my gyro, but it seemed as if the meat had been fried, because it was greasier than traditional rotisserie-style gyro meat — crispy on the edges but still tender. The pita was also fried to a point where it was oily. I’m not one to judge a book by its cover, though, so I began to eat my gyro with the same enthusiasm I have when approaching all food that gets put in front of me. The flavors were there — the savory lamb, a zesty tzatziki, fresh tomatoes and onions — but the grease was, too. This gyro proved too heavy for me to even finish and left me tummy-achin’ into the evening.
The next stop was at Campus Biryani & Gyros on Regent Street. This was promising, seeing as they put the word “gyro” right into the name of their restaurant, but once again I was miffed at the gyro I received. The meat was chewy and lacked that crispy edge. The tzatziki sauce was bland but thicker than others I’ve tried, which was a welcome surprise because as I was eating the gyro, the sauce melted down into the cracks to cover each piece of meat instead of just soaking into the pita to create a soggy mess. The tomatoes were cut up into chunks, which were appreciated when I found that I could get each flavor included in every bite without too much difficulty. What this gyro lacked in flavor, it made up for in structure, but still didn’t quite top my list.
The last stop was at Parthenon Gyros. I had high hopes for the restaurant that claims to make the best gyro in Wisconsin, but knew that I couldn’t let a self-promoting restaurant win without finding out for myself. As I was eating the gyro, I found the tomatoes to be a bit sour, but that was the only criticism I had. I appreciated the slices of meat – not too thick, not too thin – the tzatziki sauce was smooth with just the right amount of garlicky bite, and the amount of tomatoes and onions in perfect proportion to the size of the gyro. The pita was warm but not too fried and held up until the very last bite. Overall, Parthenon seemed to have the formula for a gyro mastered: savory, juicy meat, soft yet sturdy pitas, zesty sauce and a good ratio of meat to veggies.
I will continue my search for the gyro that makes me yell “OPA!”, but until then, when the craving strikes, I will head up State Street to Parthenon to get what may not be the best gyro in Wisconsin, but in my opinion, is the Best of Gyros in downtown Madison.
Elin Amundson is a senior majoring in history and philosophy. Want to let her know what gyros make you go “OPA!”? Send comments and suggestions to [email protected].
