Steve_

It's not the quality of the roads because believe me, if you want to see crap quality roads try rural Canada (e.g. the entire province of Saskatchewan), it's the degree of concentration needed to navigate down them.

Out west I can drive 600 miles and be less tired than I am driving 100 miles in the UK. At least in decent weather.

hungryhorace

So? Doesn't that say more about you and your level of (ie, lack there of) concentration than the roads?

Steerpike

We know ...

Steerpike

I do have some nostalgic memories of eating 'kebabs' in London, after a trip to the pub. So what was it about the 'UK' style kebab that differs from what I can get in a 'Mediterranean' (Greek, Turkish, etc) place here in the US? There are plenty of decent places here that have the 'gyro' machine, but I agree they don't package the product in the same way.

The closest I've found is in Concord, CA - a place inspiringly called 'The Mediterranean'. They do a 'shawarma' that is wrapped in a nice thin lavash / lavosh bread, and with plenty of hot sauce. Since I haven't had a 'kebab' in UK for 30 years, I just can't recall now if this is the same or not. They have a 'sister' place in Walnut Creek called "Babalou's".

Pulaski

An gyro is very similar to a doner kebab, except that an gyro has no chilli sauce.

SultanOfSwing

One could probably fashion one's own chilli sauce if the need arose.

I do quite like a gyro, myself.

Speedwell

Someone said hot peppers? This is Hungarian but the principle is universal. Make sure the salt you use is pure sea salt or canning salt without additives. You can throw in a garlic clove or two. http://www.food.com/recipe/eros-pist...i-paste-489602

What do I not miss about Blighty? Aberdeen traffic. Being asked in Belfast whether I'm a Protestant atheist or Catholic atheist. People telling me I'm Canadian because I'm "too nice to be an American". LOL I love it really, I'm not criticizing.

Steerpike

I am no expert on this, but in my experience, a 'Gyro' is served in a softer, fluffier pita bread. The bread is so 'thick' that it is does not fully wrap around the filling, but rather acts like a folded sandwich (see images below). I'd say there are at least three variations on the bread types served in Mediterranean places - the 'Gyro' pita - small, puffy. The more typical pita - thin, with just a slight amount of 'give' if you squeeze it, and then the Lavosh/Lavash, which is very thin. I've been to some restaurants that offer all three in different recipes - Pita Jungle in Phoenix Metro, for example.

Lavosh/Lavash
Pita (thin)
Pita (fluffy)

If I recall correctly, the UK "Kebab" is fully wrapped and that needs the larger 'lavosh' style bread.

SultanOfSwing

More often than not, just before I left, most Doners I got were served on Naan bread. That's better though because it makes for a bigger kebab ...

Ulsterman in Texas

Actually they don't directly ask your religion in Northern Ireland if you come from there, they ask what primery school you went too or ask you to spell something with the letter "H” in it, I agree though the secteriansim anf cruse genriisation is something I don't miss.

Pulaski

True, an gyro is folded like a sandwich, whereas a doner kebab has a pocket cut into the flat bread, which is then filled with a meat-like substance, salad, and chilli. The kebab flat bread I am used to is smaller in area that an gyro flat bread, but necessarily thicker and slightly tougher, to accommodate being cut, separated, and stuffed.

SultanOfSwing

I've always heard that being trotted out anecdotally but even when I lived in the village area of Belfast I was never asked those questions. Not that it would have mattered there anyway, since I'd have given the 'correct' answers in that case.

I did experience quite a bit of ill-informed generalisation from the side that supposedly claimed the 'moral high ground', being from a protestant/unionist background working in the civil service in Belfast and to a lesser extent, when I was at Queens.

fuchs01

This really has nothing to do with the original thread...but going back to visit sometimes to the UK over the years, its been great to see how all dishes from some great food cultures have mixed and matched, and exchanged ideas.
Chinese- Indian, North Pakistan-South Indian, even chicken masala, Mcindia,
Mongole Grill- with other Asian mixes.Barbecue with spices...etc, etc.
Indian -mix doner/gyros. Towns like Leicester, Leeds, Birmingham obviously
London, are full of Delicious combos.Loved the camden market, last time I visited.
What I dont miss, plastic pizza and noodle joints..., luv the original italian places.

Sally Redux

The food area of Camden Market is fantastic now

Bob

And it's shit in comparison....but it probably is the closest thing...