The Place: Soulard Gyro and Deli (2022 S. 12th St., 314-260-9330), a small, cash-only shop on the edge of Soulard that does a swift lunchtime carry-out business.
The Lunch: Doner Supreme with chips and a soda for $9
The Verdict: There's only one thing that separates a doner from a gyro - the bread. Instead of the pita, the spit-roasted meat's piled on a soft bakery roll. In this case, a thick yet airy round with a sweet yeast flavor. At first look it looks like the bread might overwhelm the sandwich fillings, but the yeastiness accents the flavors.
The meat's typical, which isn't a bad thing at all. It's the rich, spiced meat we're used to. Some foods don't need a special twist. It's piled with shredded lettuce, a few rounds of red onions, a garlicky tzatziki sauce, and fine crumbles of feta. The latter separates the doner supreme for the regular doner.
Sides are simple - Lay's chips and a 16-ounce soda with one refill. Which is fine, since no one needs more than a quart of Coke, especially with a massive doner supreme. This is a lunch for the days when you skip breakfast. The chips really aren't necessary, because the doner supreme's a sandwich flavorful and filling enough to hold up on its own.
