-Grubbing in Chicagoland
Five of a Kind: Solid Shawarma in the city and Suburbs
There's no shortage of shawarma options in the Chicagoland area. This is pretty much how it is in every major metropolis on earth as Middle Eastern spit roasted meat is truly one of the worlds most recognized foods and it can be found all across the globe. It's said to be traced back to the Levant region of the Arab World during the Ottoman Empire. Wikipedia says this about it's history - "Although the roasting of meat on horizontal spits has an ancient history, the shawarma technique—grilling a vertical stack of meat slices and cutting it off as it cooks—first appeared in the Ottoman Empire in the 19th century in the form of döner kebab which both the Greek gyros and the Levantine shawarma are derived from." While every country in the Middle Eastern region has a variation on shawarma they all start with thin cuts of seasoned and marinated meat that's stacked on a skewer and spit roasted. The spicing varies by restaurant and region but cumin, cardamom, and turmeric are all common. The meat is shaved from the spit and typically consumed as a wrap or sandwich depending on where you are. Today we visit five spots in the city and the suburbs where you can find some super solid shawarma.
We'll start out in the enclave of Norridge where there's some stellar shawarma to be found in a busy strip mall. EZ Shawarma opened a couple years ago and I remember being told there was a connection to the old Salem in Albany Park but I cant remember the exact details. Anyway they have an Arabic style shawarma that’s hit the spot on two separate visits. Arabic Shawarma is the term used for a chicken shawarma wrapped with garlic sauce and pickles that's cut up into pieces and served with fries. You'll find this dish at most shawarma spots but EZ Shawarma makes one of my favorites. The chicken is sliced fresh, the pickles are crisp and the toum has that garlicky zip to it.
_______________________________________
For our second stop we head 20 minutes north into Morton Grove to another strip mall find of mine. This Iraqi owned restaurant has been around for about three years now. The menu is a mix of mezze, kebabs and sandwiches and also features a lamb quizi which is a slow cooked lamb and rice dish that's considered one of Iraq's national dishes. But my go-to move here is the Iraqi steak shawarma aka Guss. I almost always prefer chicken when ordering shawarma but beef is most popular in Iraq and I've had some good beef shawarma at Iraqi spots bc of that. It's always a tad chewier than chicken as it is steak but at some places the beef shawarma is just too chewy but that's not the case at Spice & Fire where they layer tender cuts of steak that's cut from the spit and along with onion, tomato, parsley and a Middle Eastern brand of steak sauce is stuffed into soft bread called Samoon.
_______________________________________
Next we head into the city to the Ukrainian owned Lawn Craft Hamburger where shawarma recently joined burgers on the menu. I was walking through Noble Square when I noticed "shawarma" was added to the awning so I decided to investigate with this being the second time I’d seen a Ukrainian place serving shawarma. I came to find that Ukrainian style shawarma is indeed a thing. Some online research led me to many listings of restaurants serving shawarma in Ukraine and DIY videos on YouTube as well as Reddit threads about where to get the best shawarma in Kyiv (near the train stations). I even came across a tidbit that Ukraine president Vladimir Zelensky has a painting of a shawarma kiosk as those have become a symbol of the democratic nature of his presidency. Ukrainian Shawarma is kind of its own thing due to a few things as far as ingredients go. The meat is typically chicken and toppings are usually a combo of garlic sauce, spicy mayo, tomato and crunchy vegetables like cabbage, pickles, jalapeño. It became a thing the same way that Tacos Al Pastor, Greek Gyros, Halifax Donair, Lomito Arabe, French Tacos, and Berlin style Döner Kebap all did.
_______________________________________
At it's current pace Roscoe Village is never going to be mentioned among the city's best food neighborhoods but it's gotten better over the last five years or so. Sinya Mediterranean opened a few summers back and has had a steady flow of business since then. You can chalk that up to carefully prepared plates of chicken shawarma served over fluffy yellow rice with hummus and a side salad. The first time I decided to try this place I did a double take upon the delivery of my chicken shawarma meal. It looked exactly like the version served at Falafel & Grill in Wicker Park which has been one of my go-to spots for more than a decade. I asked if there was a connection and sure enough the guy who owns Falafel & Grill is part owner of Sinya and with that you'll find a virtually identical product.
_______________________________________
_______________________________________
See ya next time @chibbqking
2 comments:
When you see this review i believe you will also be happy for me because i was convicted with a crime that i didn't commit and this was last year, i was working with a company and i was suspected for some fraudulent act but with the help of Premiumhackservices AT Gmail DOT com i was found not guilty, they provided evidence i need to be free they worked as private investigator on my case and they were hired by my wife and i thank them a lot doing and this is least way i can show my appreciation for what they have done for me, they also use WhatsApp to stay in contact +14106350697, you can also be saved today all you have to do is to take the right step in the right direction.
Thanks for sharing this tasty find!
This Shawarma special looks absolutely delicious! I love discovering new food spots and trying different flavors, and your post has definitely added a few places to my list. Office Shoes Discount Code
Post a Comment