Into the Mouth of Corbo: Souvlaki GR

I started out my lunch break, like I usually do, with a tweet to the truck that I am going to visit that day. Like most of the food trucks, Souvlaki GR does not really come close to my work, so it was another 32 block walk roundtrip for me. As I turned the corner, I stopped to take my necessary photo of the truck when I hear "Are you Mike?!" Amazing! (I forgot that even know my Twitter name is TheArtofCorbo that it shows my full name too) Abby introduced herself to me and we chatted a little more about my hike to see them and it really made me admire the Souvlaki GR truck. It isn't just about mass-producing food to make a buck. It was about making friendships out of customers who will be sure to return again, and maybe even bring a friend. It doesn't hurt that their food is incredibly delicious too! No wonder why they won a 2010 Vendy Award for "Rookie of the Year."

I have only really had souvlaki from one other place in the city; Uncle Nick's Greek Cuisine, 747 Ninth Avenue. I would place an order on the phone, go to the bank & walk over to the restaurant. I would then still have to wait 10 minutes or so for my order to be filled. The pitas were delicious but the meat was always overcooked (no wonder it took so long) and the other ingredients were just thrown together inside the pita. Nothing tasted fresh and there was definitely no care behind their food. It was also way too expensive for the quality of food. It almost made me give up on souvlaki until I heard about the Souvlaki GR truck on Twitter. The problem was, it was never close. Always coming near at night when I was on my way home to my wife and dinner. But then, one magical day, they announced they were open for lunch at 21st & 6th! I left the lunch I had brought to work that day in the fridge and headed out to see if they could change my mind.

I have made a few trips to the Souvlaki truck so far I have only tried two of their menu items: the Chicken Souvlaki Pita & the Pork Souvlaki Pita. You start with a warm pita that was fluffy and not greasy at all. Inside is the meat of your choice, red onion, tomatoes (which I don't get), tzatziki sauce and french fries. You heard me...FRENCH FRIES inside the pita! This is all wrapped tightly into rolls for a tasty treat to eat on the go.

Where do I start on what makes these so good? The meat is cooked perfectly. I usually get one of each when I go. Everything is cooked to order so don't expect to walk up, order and go. They only take a few minutes so hang out, listen to the music they play and let the anticipation build. It is WELL worth the wait. Usually I am not a fan of red onion but they people at Souvlaki truck have done it right. They don't pile on half an onion but instead just a few little slices. The sharp flavor really cuts through and is not overpowering at all.

As I was enjoying my first ever chicken souvlaki, I took a bite that was filled with this amazing and unexpected flavor...was that a french fry? I was so excited to have gotten my pitas that I completely forgot about these hidden secrets inside! Let me tell you, the french fries may sound out of place but they pull the entire flavor profile together. They are soft and salty and adds a beautiful compliment to all of the other ingredients. Do not take these guys for granted. As if this doesn't sound good enough already, everything is finally finished off with their tzatziki sauce. This tangy yogurt sauce is incredible. So good, in fact, that I actually ate some of the wrapper! I need to bottle this and put it on everything.