Olympos Gyros

Yesterday was a busy day of painting. We had 2 closets upstairs that were still a putrid lime green color so we decided to empty them out, paint them, and since we were emptying out closets, do some re-organizing. Now it's Sunday afternoon and we are not yet done re-organizing so the kitchen and dining room are littered with stuff from the pantry (food and jars and cans) and from the skinny, nearly useless 'broom' closet that had random stuff shoved in it (bread maker, soda, bottled water, garbage bags) and all the stuff that got pulled out of kitchen cabinets and that is still awaiting a new home (pots and jars and plasticware). It's all driving me crazy.

Plus, the re-organization that we have done, I'm not really liking. Nothing is more annoying than spending 3-4 hours re-organizing and then deciding the new organization stinks and you want it all back the old way... (I haven't made that decision yet, but I am leaning in that direction).

We also painted the downstairs bathroom. Emptying the closets, cleaning them, taping them, then painting them took all day. By the time we were finished with painting and had both showered, it was dinner time, but we didn't have the energy to go out (or cook, not even grilled cheese or instant noodles). So we had the usual discussion - do you want to order in? Should I run out and get something? Chinese? Pizza? Nothing sounded appealing.

Then SP remembered Fuji Sushi so we tried to find an online menu (no luck) but when I was on Urbanspoon reading some unfavorable reviews of Fuji Sushi, I clicked on 'restaurants near Fuji Sushi' and found a place we've seen when we drive by and we always say "oh we should try them, wonder if they're any good" and then we never remember: Olympos Gyros. They are located on Route 60 in Robinson and opened in January 2010. Here's an article about Olympos Gyros from The Pittsburgh Tribune-Review.

Suddenly, we were energized. A bit. Olympos Gyros has a Facebook page and their menu can be found there (however, the menu there is a tad outdated as grape leaves are no longer part of the platter special and the prices have increased slightly for a few items). We chose our meals, SP called in the order, and then he left to go pick it up (we didn't want to wait for delivery and risk the delivery person getting lost or confused, which seems to happen a lot with our house since many GPS systems incorrectly identify our location due to some Crafton/Robinson zip code/road name similarities).The place is not much to look at on the outside, being located in a mini strip mall along Route 60, and the inside is sparse and diner-ish with the usual Greek blue & white color scheme.

The menu has Spinach Pie (not spanakopita) and we decided to try it. It's very tasty. I don't think there's feta, but I did taste dill and it was yummy! The phyllo dough was nice and flaky, it was warm. We'd definitely get the Spinach Pie again.I decided on an "Original Sandwich:" Gyro. There are also "Olympian Sandwiches" which are gyro meat sandwiches with French fries and either regular, ranch, spicy, or BBQ flavored tzatziki sauce.While the inclusion of French Fries on a gyro seems to be a Pittsburgh thing (a la Primanti's), it is not, in fact, a Pittsburgh thing -- the Tribune-Review article quotes an Olympos Gyros co-owner explaining that adding fries is how they do it in Greece. There also are grilled chicken and souvlaki (marinated & grilled pork) original sandwiches (gyros).My gyro was quite tasty and it was HUGE. I ended up eating it with a knife and fork! I like the thicker grilled pita (as opposed to Aladdin's thinner pitas, which are also quite good). The tomato was sprinkled with some oregano - yum! The gyro meat was tasty if a bit salty and I was so happy it wasn't that icky, thinly sliced deli-like gyro meat you sometimes get if you order a gyro from a pizza place.

But the sauce - oh the sauce it what makes these so darn yummy. It's not a yogurt-cucumber tzatziki sauce but instead they make their own tzatziki sauce using sour cream, four spices, and extra virgin olive oil. Oh my. I can totally see why they offer extra sauce for 50 cents.

For his meal, SP chose a 'Platter,' which includes your choice of meat (gyro, marinated & grilled chicken, souvlaki, fried chicken or steak), a pita, your choice of tzatziki sauce flavor, French fries, lettuce, tomato, onions, a small Greek Salad, and for an additional 50 cents a grape leaf. Unfortunately, they were out of grape leaves last night.SP's Greek Salad had lovely, large square hunks of feta, kalamatas, and a delicious balsamic dressing (on the side). Here's the fixings for his build it yourself sandwich:I tried a bite of the chicken and thought it was a tad dry/tough, but it was much improved when plopped on the pita and mixed with the veggies and sauce. SP ate his fries on the side, not on the sandwich, and said they were tasty.Our last purchase, dessert. Baklava:Lovely flaky layers of phyllo with nuts and honey and spices - so good!!!

We are so excited to have a non-chain place like this in Robinson, right down the road from us, where we can eat in, take out, or get our food delivered. And that tzatziki sauce -- soooo good!!!!!