Gyroville Really Fresh, Really Greek

Linda Bladholm11/8/2011

The fourth location of Gyroville Really Fresh, Really Greek fast-casual chain recently opened in the Southport Shopping Center in Fort Lauderdale, joining similar Mexican, Middle Eastern, and Asian places in South Florida. The sleek space is done in warm tones with framed posters of Greek gods.

Order at the counter and the food is delivered fast. There are rotating vertical spits with a mixture of beef and lamb for shaving off and tucking into pita with salad, and tzatziki sauce for the signature Gyros plus souvlaki (kebabs), mixed grill platters, dips, salads and sandwiches.

Chef-owner Lambros Kokkinelis grew up in Long Island, N.Y., in a Greek family. His dad is from Epirus in Northern Greece and his mother hails from Peloponnesos on the Southern Peninsula. Lambros started working in his dad’s diner at age 12 and later went to the Culinary Institute in Hyde Park. He opened a food court kiosk in Manhattan with several partners, sold it and moved to South Florida eight years ago for the warm weather.

Gyroville features the best of traditional Greek dishes fused with additional flavors Americans love, like spice and sweetness. The yogurt tzatiki comes in several versions besides cucumber such as roasted red pepper, jalapeño and spinach and caramelized onion and pineapple. The Zeus sandwich comes with a trio of meat (pork and chicken chunks and Gyro slices) with red onion, tomato and tzatiki. The Aphrodite is a vegetarian delight with falafel, salad and Greek dressing in a whole-wheat wrap. Seafood fans can try the Poseidon with grilled Cajun mahi on pita with feta and peppers. Avgolemono is chicken soup with orzo pasta, lemon and egg yolks. There’s also spicy feta dip with pita, grape leaves stuffed with lemony rice and phyllo-wrapped spinach and cheese pies. End with honey-saturated baklava with walnuts.

Kali oreski! (bon appetit!).