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A staple in the world of Greek food, the gyro — or “gyros,” pronounced like “YEE-ro” — is a favorite among foodies around the world. While its origins may reach back to ancient Greece, the dish is now enjoyed right here in the U.S. If you live in the Crossville, TN, area or are just passing through, you can try one of these delicious sandwiches made from scratch at Gondola Pizza and Steak House. Here, the restaurant staff shares some interesting facts about the beloved Greek good.

Greek-foodThe term “gyros” is Greek for “turn,” which refers to the way in which the sandwich’s meat is cooked. Either pork, chicken, beef, or lamb is spun on an upright rotisserie, and turned slowly in front of a broiler until reaching a perfect consistency. While the Greek food dish traditionally featured only pork or chicken, regions outside of Greece adopted the sandwich and incorporated lamb and beef throughout the 1970s.

Although it’s suspected the Mediterranean region used a similar cooking method involving skewers as long ago as 1600 BC, the vertical rotisserie wasn’t popularized until the Turks began using it during the Ottoman Empire. They remained popular in Athens for centuries but didn’t begin taking hold in the U.S. until after 1975. It was during this year when Chris Tomaras developed Kronos Food® — a Chicago-based gyro manufacturer.

The sandwich soon became a staple in busy cities, and shortly thereafter, even small-town Greek restaurants began popping up with gyros on the menu. Today, most of the gyros you’ll find in U.S. eateries feature beef wrapped in pita bread, served with toppings like tomatoes and onions. Restaurants like Gondola Pizza and Steak House also slather the sandwich in a delectable homemade sauce to round out the flavors.

If all this talk about Greek food has made you hungry for something delicious, head over to Gondola Pizza and Steak House, where you’ll also find other Grecian favorites like shish-kabobs and Greek salads. You can view their menu online now for a full list of offerings. Or, speak directly with a restaurant staff member by calling (931) 484-7647.

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