Stop #15: Eating Schwarma and Gaining Nuance About Middle Eastern Cuisine

I was all set to go for Thai food today, believing that the next cart on my odyssey was "I Like Thai Food."  But for whatever reason, they weren't open today.  So my eyes traveled one truck to the left --Saaj Baghdad.  While it took my brain/belly about five seconds to shift itself from curry and chilis to grilled meat and tatziki, I was psyched.

I asked the gentleman what he liked best on the menu.  He said schwarma - I asked him which kinds of meat he had - lamb, chicken and beef.  He then pointed to his menu and explained that they served their  schwarma on Iraqi bread called samoon.  This piqued my interest, as I suddenly realized my knowledge about food from the Middle East is extremely general.  Schwarma, hummus, kabob, falafel - but I have no real sense of regional or national specialties.  What is the local dish in Saudi Arabia vs. Qatar vs. Yemen vs. Iraq?  While a small drop in the bucket, samoon was going to be a first step in gaining some nuance about Middle Eastern food.

I was asked if I wanted everything on the sandwhich - lettuce, tomato, tatziki, cucumber, hot sauce?  I said yes, but after being burned by last week, requested light on the hot sauce.

While I waited for my food, an order was presented to a pair of men who had been waiting.  I was thrilled to hear them have a happily animated exchange in arabic with the truck owners as one of them devoured his sandwhich.  If those who were raised on the dishes being served are buying them from the establishment where you are getting your lunch, you are in the right place.

It took a fair bit of time for my food to be ready.  If you are in a rush, save this truck for another day.  However, if you want to be sure that your schwarma is cooked perfectly and to order, this is the place for you!  After about ten minutes I was presented with a steaming meal that looked like something between a sandwhich and a pita.

I got back to the office and dug in.  Delicious!  The meat had been sauteed with onions, the tatziki was refreshing with an extra flavor - tarragon? that was a great addtion and the creamy hot sauce was fabulous.  Finally, the bread, the samoon was awesome!  A little like a ciabbatta but with a crunchier and denser exterior, it was robust enough to balance the heartiness of the contents of the sandwhich better than a flimsy pita (I mean, those things ALWAYS fall apart when you fill them with deliciousness, ammaright?)

Note French Fry in the Middle

Also fun - the two french fries in the middle of the sandwhich.  I feel I can always get behind a general inclusion of french fries whenever possible.

 Saaj Baghdad: 
Chicken Schwarma - $7.00 (+ tip)
Accepts Credit Cards