After a truly satisfying fish taco find last week, my last luxurious food account had left me in a catatonic state, for which the only remedy was sustenance beyond the quality that was offered on campus. Lasting another week without a recently acquired dining indulgence was simply not possible. My recent decision to seek out the delicious hidden gems on menus around SLO could possibly lead to my permanent dependence on quality food, which would not only hurt my wallet, but my once low-maintenance and easy-to-please palate. But for now we wont worry about that, because my taste buds are having too much fun.
Before my current dining adventure, I could not control my stomach, for it led me off campus yet again like I was sleepwalking, or sleep eating for that matter. It led me to the Taj Palace, an Indian restaurant steeped in decadence, where they literally steep their dishes in complex sauces known for revealing multifarious flavors that excite taste buds beyond levels that other foods could not fathom accomplishing. This detour on my quest for food left me with a regret for not bringing a camera and pad of paper, for the flavors left me with a confluence of brilliant ideas to which I could apply to a profile of their dishes on this blog.
Forgive me. My excitement for food has driven this article off course. The subject of this food adventure lies across the Indian border, over Iran and Turkey, to the land of big flavor: Greece. The country of origin of this style of food? Jordan.
My destination this week was driven by a Mediterranean itch I had failed to scratch since I had arrived in San Luis Obispo, and today was the day to do it.
I had heard about a popular Greek spot near campus called Petra, famous for their generous helpings of full flavored ingredients, loaded into freshly baked pita breads and served with light cucumber yogurt salads. Not to mention the fact that they stay open until midnight, to help feed all the hungry night owls that roam this thriving college town.
I walked into this warm and homey establishment and was instantly greeted with a steaming slice of fresh baked pita bread, hot out of the oven, by the chef and owner who had opened this establishment in 2008. I asked him what I should order, and he confidently pointed me at the menu to the “Gyro Sandwich,” artfully prepared by blending “lamb and beef together with a mix of Mediterranean spices, garlic sauce, lettuce, tomato and our Tahini sauce. It all goes inside a warm pita”, he said with brilliant passion. Topped with a refreshing side of cucumber yogurt salad, this dish holds a special place in my heart as the unique food I had set out to find.
This dish was so alluring that I attacked it with tremendous fury, leaving me with apathy towards taking a photo of it, because I was dying to eat it. I spread a liberal helping of cucumber yogurt salad atop the hearty pita sandwich and took my first bite. An abundance of rich savory flavors presented themselves as they coalesced softly on my tongue. Each bite revealed itself to be even more delicious than the last, and before i knew it, my plate was empty.
After discovering that Greek food was my soul mate, I realized that the flavors that make our food industry so delicious and diverse are those that have traveled great lengths just to establish themselves in our culture. The flavors that we all find so intriguing are those that have been brought to us from across the globe and end up settling in our lives to become staples in our richly diverse culture. The quality of food is not determined by its price but by the care and passion that is infused into it, it is made with years of diligence and pride. Food is a product of enamor, whether it is a love for the satisfaction of others, or the love of creating something that can stand alone above its predecessors to become known as something great. Food is art, and we should appreciate it at all levels of passion and skill, because a chef not only creates an aesthetic, but something a person develops a prurient desire for. And a connoisseur of food, like you and me, is the rare person who can appreciate this compassionate art form for all that it is worth.
Menu Price Range: $6-$20
(Delicious Close-up)
tmac2curt
Curtis,
You are an inspiration! All we are going to do is go out and eat next I am in SLO!
Delicious, simply sublime.
I will remember that meal for years to come.
Delicious, simply sublime
I will remember this meal for years to come
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This is not Greek food though. This is Arabic food, particularly from Jordan, Palestine, Syria, and Lebanon. The only Greek item on the menu is the gyros.
Hence why I wrote about the Greek Gyro.