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| - What do you get when you combine Lebanese cuisine, baked goods, gyros, funky interior design and second hand talk of bed bugs?
The perfect #yelpnewvember storm, that's what.
Over the summer, there was a spirited debate about where to find the best gyros in town after the unfortunate demise of Dmitri's. After fellow Yelper Tawnie R boldly declared the People's Bakery as the worthy successor to Dimitri's, I knew a trip to the People's Bakery was in the cards for me.
If you are looking for elegant digs, this place is not for you. It's a kitschy, little greasy spoon nestled into a strip mall at the corner of East Wash and East Johnson. There's not a lot of seating and if someone is on the phone, you're going to be privy to their conversation. In my case, I got a comprehensive update on a bedbug infestation of a family member that the owner's wife was describing in painstaking detail. And while the chairs and tables are mismatched and the floor tiles are coming loose in places, the eating surfaces were all impeccably clean and the pictures on the wall gave the joint a homey feel. And the husband and wife team that run the place have a great rapport with the regular customers getting their lunch fix.
I ordered the $5.50 gyros and fries and grabbed a seat. About ten minutes later, a massive foil wrapped gyros was delivered to my table. I swear that an entire herd of sheep were sacrificed for this meal. In terms of quantity, the People's Bakery delivered big time.
On the quality side, things were a little less clear cut. First the negatives:
* The next time I visit, I'm going to ask to have the pita spend a little time on the grill. This dish deserves better than a cold, doughy pita.
* More tzatziki sauce please!!! When you give me a metric ton of lamb meat, I need more than a tablespoon of sauce to balance out the dish.
* The same can be said of the tomatoes. I need more than two very thinly cut slices.
Now the positives:
* The meat was served piping hot, moist and well seasoned. It was clear this meat wasn't sitting under a heat lamp awaiting the lunch time crush. The only thing I would have changed is to have a little char on some of the pieces to provide more textural contrast.
* The onions served with the dish were pure awesomeness. I'll be honest, I usually pick most of the onions off my gyros because they can overpower the other ingredients with their sulfuric pungency. With a medium dice, these onions were fresh and sweet and complemented each bite.
* I l-o-v-e-d the fries that accompanied the meal. Salty and crunchy on the outside and hot and moist on the outside. Yummmmmm.
So, does the People's Bakery unseat Trader Gus as my King of Madison Gyros. I say it's too close to call right now. What I do know is that I plan to return to the People's Bakery to conduct more extensive research. And if you find yourself on the east side with an empty stomach and a light wallet, People's Bakery is an option worth considering.
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