What Makes A Good Souvlaki?

According to Bill, the pita makes the souvlaki. Who is Bill? Bill was born in Montreal to Greek parents. He moved back to Greece when he was an infant and now runs the little supermarket/convenience store/depanneur in the small town of Mikines, or Mycenae, really a tourist town a couple of kilometers away from the museum and sites of Ancient Mycennae. He is very nice and friendly. But why is Bill an expert? Because from the ages of 19 to 22, he returned to Montreal and lived at Parc Extension, working in at Arahova Souvlaki on Parc Avenue. You can understand the excitement I felt when I heard this. I had just eaten at Arahova Souvlaki for the first time this past summer (not the one on Parc Avenue, but still). And Bill was genuinely interested on how the restaurants were doing, and reasonably excited (for a mid-30s guy living in what is a ghost town for most of the year) to hear that I had eaten there. Anyhow, he thinks the pita in Greece is much better and he is correct. He recognizes the importance of Tzatziki though, and I must admit it is the Tzatziki that makes the gyros at Sabbas stand out. It really is incredible.

Anyways, I'm back in Athens now. I had a couple more souvlakis in Patras (at a restaurant called Chick N Chicken). One had bacon. Then I had the Greek Mac at McDonalds here in Athens (which I am not counting in the total) and washed it down with a pork Sabbas gyro. So that brings the total to 8.

Also, Happy Hannukah Jewish readers. Can't remember if I wished you that or not. As you can see, I am celebrating by eating pork souvlaki and gyros. I promise to vhave latkes and sufganiot when I get back to Israel.