Meat on a Stick

Eagle Rock’s Spitz hints at the potential of traditional Döner Kebab.
by Lesley Bargar

In the southern French town of Aix-en-Provence, tucked neatly among the nonsensical cobblestone streets, sits an unassuming eatery that at long last mastered the world’s most perfect food. I know, because I spent every Wednesday of my mandatory, year-long ‘abroad experience’ relishing the mouth-bound masterpieces emerging from the restaurant’s kitchen. Their specialty is, I guarantee with absolute confidence, the universe’s most ideally crafted edible item—one that makes Mana taste like a tater-tot. The dish: Döner Kebab. Its contents: a sort of focaccia-like pita stuffed with shaved lamb and beef, hot peppers, lettuce and similar sandwich-like veggies, drizzles of dill-laden Tzatziki sauce, and a fistful of ultra-garlic French fries. It’s then put in a panini press and sealed shut so its savory juices sizzle together into some sort of youth-extending (or heart-attack inducing) lifeblood. It can cure any hangover in exactly 23 seconds, and—much like Jesus’ loaves and fishes—could miraculously keep you sated for a full 72 hours. Since eating it, no food has tasted quite right, and I’ve been seeking something similar on this continent since the moment I returned to the United States.

Which is exactly what Bryce Rademan—co-owner of Eagle Rock’s Spitz with college friend Robert Wicklund—has been doing since he returned from a trip to Spain in 2004. Apparently Europe just has a way with kebab, what with all the folks of Turkish descent. And when this sandwiched delicacy seduced Rademan’s taste buds as it did mine, he decided to do something about it. The result of which is Spitz: Home of the Döner Kebab.

This appropriately unpretentious spot next to the Sizzler on Eagle Rock Boulevard looks deceivingly chain-like, with crisp orange awnings coordinating perfectly with the bright orange table umbrellas and the corporate-like squiggle logo abstractly implying the vertically spinning hunks of meat just inside. There’s a total of three parking spots (one is for handicapped only) in the miniscule “lot” for the restaurant, an absurd fact that taunted me to no end while struggling to parallel park on the street.

Inside, Spitz gleams with newness. The smells and sounds of a brand new apartment (in Istanbul) still permeate the space in front of the glass and chrome counter. Behind the counter, Rademan and Wicklund tag-team ringing up customers and manning an assembly line of sandwich making. To the right sits a freezer case filled with the suddenly-so-popular tins of brightly-colored gelato flavors (I can’t comment on the taste, as I was stuffed to the uvula with kebab).

The menu is just as simple: four things. Well, actually, it’s more like two things served four ways each…which I guess makes for a total of eight menu combinations. Whatever. Spitz’s sandwich meal is nicely spelled out on their golden paper menu in three easy steps. Step one: Choose between a sandwich that contains—along with the staple ingredients like lettuce, tomato, onion, pepper, Tzatziki and chili sauces—either the homemade half-lamb half-beef Döner meat ($8.50), chicken ($8.50), falafel and humus ($8.25), or just veggies and humus ($7.75). Step two: Choose for your side either fried pita strips with humus, seasoned fries, sweet potato fries, (extra $0.75) or a side salad (extra $0.75). And finally, step three (you still with me?): “Enjoy your meal!”

After being fully briefed, then, on the series of events that were about to take place, I stepped to the counter and began: 1) classic Döner meat; 2) pita strips; 3) this would have to wait for my dining companions (and my food to arrive), who chose falafel/seasoned fries and falafel/sweet potato fries, respectively. After paying (which was a step overlooked in the pre-dining itinerary), I concocted my signature mix of Diet Coke and root beer from the soda dispenser, and sat at one of the sunny tables out front.

In less than 10 minutes, one of the owners came toting a few straw baskets lined with white paper, inside of which sat our lunches. He placed a basket in front of me and I was greeted by a half foil-wrapped sandwich next to a couple dozen thick strips of fried pita, and a tiny dipping cup of humus. The neat foil wrapping proved invaluable during the eating process, as the generous amount of Tzatziki sauce and meat juices formed some messy drips. The “classic” was still a far cry from the Provencal Döner I long for, but was at least reminiscent of it. The toasted focaccia bread was the highlight of the sandwich, thin and light, retaining its crispiness despite the sauce/juice bombardment. The meat was less greasy than its European counterpart (probably a good move for an Eagle Rock eatery), and it was easy to pick out the distinct lamb and beef tastes within the shredded strips. The veggies were crisp and fresh, and made the whole experience far lighter and more lunch appropriate than the traditional mass of garlic fries and meat. Speaking of meat, the falafel in my friends’ meat-free sandwich was unremarkable and a bit on the salty side.

As for the sides, the winner of the day was the pita strips: thick, crunchy, salted, satisfyingly oily hunks of fresh pita that had a great, addictive crunch. The humus dip that came with them, on the other hand, was a tragedy—straight out of a container, it seemed, with a plasticy texture nowhere near the smooth creaminess of superb humus. Both the seasoned and the sweet potato fries were decent but could have been crispier, and had a sugary sweetness.

Spitz definitely adds something different (if chain-like) to the new wave of Eagle Rock restaurants, and outside of the obnoxiously loud club music pounding through speakers, its sunny patio makes a nice spot for a quick, heavier lunch. Its ultra minimal menu does make things easy, but could be the restaurant’s downfall. And while I may be back, I am left still longing for the garlicky grease pocket from my days in France. LAA

Location: 2506 Colorado Blvd., Eagle Rock.
Phone: (323) 257-5600.
Vibe: Casual fast-food lunch.
Service: Nice dudes at a counter.
Parking: Don’t get me started.
Price: $
Recommended dishes: The Classic, pita strips, sweet potato fries.
Overall: 3 out of 5 sporks