Shawarma. Ok, I’ve seen it, but never knew Shawarma was Shawarma until after I saw The Avengers.
Oh, here’s my Avengers Review (with the views of others in Oakland):
At any rate…
In the epic movie starring Robert Downey, Jr., Chris Evans, Chris Hemsworth, Mark Rufalo, and Scarlett Johansson, Tony Stark / Iron Man, after surviving the delivery of a nuclear bomb to an enemy space craft in another dimension (you have to see the film), made one of those ‘Thank God I’m alive’ statements, saying that he wanted to try Shawarma. Here’s the scene:
And here’s “Earth’s Mightiest Heros” eating Shawarma, “just two blocks down the street.”
So what is Shawarma?
Shawarma is best described as an “Arabian Taco,” and according to a Wikipedia entry, it is this: “lamb, goat, chicken, turkey, beef, or mixed meats are placed on a spit (commonly a vertical spit in restaurants), and may be grilled for as long as a day. Shavings are cut off the block of meat for serving, and the remainder of the block of meat is kept heated on the rotating spit. Although it can be served in shavings on a plate (generally with accompaniments), “shawarma” also refers to a pita bread sandwich or wrap made with shawarma meat. Shawarma is eaten with tabbouleh, fattoush, taboon bread, tomato, and cucumber. Toppings include tahini, hummus, pickled turnips and amba. Shawarma is a fast-food staple across the Middle East, Europe and the Caucasus.”
Shawarma in Oakland
Ok, so where can you get Shawarma in Oakland? According to Yelp, the best place is the Oasis Food Market at 3045 Telegraph Ave, followed by Adam’s Mediterranean Grill & Café at 1442 Franklin St, and the Plaza Cafe at 300 Frank H Ogawa Plaza, or what we call City Hall Plaza, too.
Shawarma in San Francisco
In SF, Sha can be had at the Oasis Grill at 91 Drumm St. Then you have to go all the way to The Sunset District, and to the Sunrise Deli & Cafe at 2115 Irving St., or Yumma’s at 721 Irving St. Check Yelp here for the full list of Shawarma places in San Francisco.
Shawarma in Atlanta
In Atlanta there’s several places to get Shawarma: Falafel King at 1405 Oxford Road Northeast, Mediterranean Bakery Inc at 3362 Chamblee Tucker Road in Chamblee, GA, Pita Palace at 1658 Lavista Road Northeast, and Basha Bistro at 420 14th Street N.W..
Shawarma in New York
There’s a ton of places in New York to get Shawarma. Here’s the list: Yelp.
So now, you have no excuse but to follow Tony Stark’s lead and get some Shawarma.