Greece comes to Gaston (The Pita Wheel)

I have yet to travel to Greece but I love to imagine walking through ornately paved walkways and back alleys in Athens with selfie stick in one hand and some agglomerate of roasted meat, well spiced and fried starch and marinated vegetables in the other. The weather is perfect (as it tends to be in fairytale land) and the mood is carefree. Again, this is just my imagination and because all good things must come to an end (except apparently clichés) I’m thrust back from my make believe respite along the Mediterranean to the beachless borders of Gaston County. Now forlorn and famished I must deal with the reality of not being able to experience the taste, smell and texture of my most recent cravings. Or can I? Recently, I found that all hope is not lost and we can indeed find a bit of Greece in the most unlikely of places. Dallas, NC

The Pita Wheel in its short time as a stationary entity has become a go to spot for area residents. Owner/Proprietor Christopher Davis opened the 1108 East Main Street location in January of 2017. I'm certainly not the first local foodie to say nice things about the food but I wanted to be sure that those who pay attention to this blog knew about this north gaston area option.

We were met with smiles and enthusiasm as we entered what looked to have been a renovated convenience store. The overall lighting and atmosphere was both warm and welcoming. Rich (who you may find accompanies me to many of the lunch locations on this blog) ordered the Chicken Bacon Ranchero Gyro which includes chicken tips, tomatoes, applewood bacon, cheddar jack cheese and a buttermilk ranch dressing. He said it was good. And that's ALL he had to say. (Get used to that)

I ordered The Grecian which is similar to the Chicken Bacon Ranch in that it also features the chicken tips but that's where the similarities end. This gyro features fresh lettuce and tomatoes, cucumber tzatziki sauce and a Grecian Dressing. I know that some of you "food people" out there are probably giving the cucumber sauce and the dressing the side eye but trust me when I say, "There was a litany of flavorful, joy inducing explosions" in my mouth. These flavor bombs were accompanied perfectly by the gyro's final ingredient, freshly charred sliced onions. The marriage brought about by the onion sweetness, the slight bitter of the char and the well seasoned protein element made for a pleasant surprise in a place I may not have even noticed if it hadn't been suggested. In addition, the fresh cooked fries made the 7.89 price well worth it.

The Pita Wheel also boasts a wide variety of craft beers and wine's for those of you interested in partaking of the bottle. Fresh Salads, Burgers and an assortment of side items round off the menu.

Don’t let the fact that Pita Wheel is located in an obscure area of the county, at an even more obscure building off of North New Hope Road keep you from giving it a try.

Chef Marcus Rating: 4 Chef Knives/5