Sunday, August 13, 2006

Taste test: Spitz is nothing to spit at

sweet potato fries and doner kebab sandwich
The most well-conceived new spots pick one or two things and do them right in a pleasant setting. Whether or not you like Sprinkles and Tender Greens, you have to admit they have great concepts. Eagle Rock's Spitz is another example of these one-shot operations, and we thoroughly enjoyed our first visit there. The concept is doner kebab -- rotating spits of classic lamb and beef meat or chicken, stuffed into focaccia or lavosh, with lettuce, cucumber and various sauces and garnishes. Sides are pita strips with hummus, seasoned fries or sweet potato fries. Carbo-phobics can get kebab meat or falafel on top of a salad. There's also great coffee from Lamill and tasty gelato from San Francisco's Gelato Classico.
With almost all the seating on the outdoor patio, it's the perfect place for a warm summer evening.
We tried both the lamb/beef and the chicken doner kebab. If you're used to the actual chicken pieces in Zankou's chicken tarna, for example, the thinly-sliced pre-formed meat in Spitz's kabobs might seem a bit industriel, but it's pretty tasty stuff, if a bit salty. With the grilled bread, all the garnishes, the tzatziki sauce and the chili sauce, it's a savory, spicy package that doesn't overfill you like, say, the steak burrito I had the other night. The sweet potato fries were nicely cooked and the lychee and espresso gelato provided a cool creamy finish to the meal.
A trip to Tarjay, a kebab sandwich and some gelato...what more can a person ask? The only way to improve this outing would be to first stop for a brutally effective chair massage from the mannish-looking Chinese masseuse outside Target.
Spitz
2506 Colorado Blvd.
Eagle Rock
323) 257-5600

4 comments:

Anonymous said...

Hope they can keep their eyes on the prize, and not mess with the success of the concept. Pollo Loco was much better back in the day when the menu was "A. half-chicken; B.whole chicken. C. Flour or corn tortillas". A decade ago, when I was working in Encino, a sort of "light kekbab" place opened up, in a mini-mall up the street. Their menu was "A. Small/Large B. Chicken/Beef" . That was it. Their drinks were in a cooler. They were great. Then one of the guys running it decided that they were going to "expand the menu". They were gone in 2 months....

Anonymous said...

Spitz is yummy. I tried them out about a month after they opened and those sweet potato fries are awesome and the and doner kebab sandwich was just right -- tasty, filling but not heavy. the pricetag kinda got to me though.

Anonymous said...

The Gelato at this place saved me during that hellacious weekend when it was 200 degrees at night ...

Anonymous said...

I love it! My friend Frank and I went to Spitz just a few nights ago. I was so impressed with the fresh and tasty food and the friendly service. We sat in the patio and enjoyed kebob sandwiches,sweet potato fries and ice tea while taking in the great great views of the city and foothills. We plan on returning soon and sampling their gelato. I highly recommend Spitz.