🚀 go-pugleaf

In article <Z-GdnduciqigVL7cRVn-hw@comcast.com>, hawknoah@comcast.net 
says...
> I will attempt again to revive this newsgroup by posing a question..
> 
> Can anyone tell me what the difference between a shawarma and a gyro is? I
> believe that shawarma is a Lebanese name while gyro is Greek, so the
> difference may just be a linguistic one.  I was in Ottawa last week and
> these things were being sold everywhere -- unfortunately I wasn't in a
> position to try one and find out, which I now regret.  I noticed one stand
> sold both shawarmas and gyros, leading me to believe they may not be one and
> the same.
> 
> I would appreciate if anyone could share their expertise about shawarmas,
> which will save me a trip back to Ottawa to find out firsthand what it's all
> about.
> 
> Noah
> 
You could go to the Lebanese Taverna over in Congressional Plaza to see 
what shawarma is about, at least their version of it.  They have beef, 
lamb and chicken versions on the menu, I think.  

My impression is that gyro is made from compressed mystery meat, kind of 
like Greek Spam, sliced from a mass of it rotating on a spit in front of 
a burner of some kind, while shawarma is less mysterious chunks of meat 
sliced from primal (that is, not compressed) cuts that have been roasted 
on a spit.  

I personally find the average gyros to be a turn-off because of the 
mystery meat perception, while the shawarma I've tried have been 
enjoyable.  

When it comes to souvlaki vs. kebab, things are much more equal, in my 
experience.

Bob