First impressions: Spitz

(Credit: Max Wagner )

Photos:

Walking into Spitz is like stumbling into one of Jackson Pollock’s alcoholic rampages. Splashes of green, brown and yellow paint adorn the concrete walls, and massive tangles of scrap metal (shaped to resemble meat on a spit) encase lights dangling from the raw industrial ceiling.

After a few sips of a caña (a 7-ounce glass) of Stone Levitation ale, the decor isn’t quite as jarring. In fact, life in general doesn’t seem as harsh after one of these short pours, which are the perfect size to accompany a midday meal. Perhaps the caña, a Spanish import, explains why the Iberians are such a happy bunch. Or maybe it’s that they get all the late-night, post-disco döner kebab their bellies desire.

Bryce Rademan and Robert Wicklund tapped into the European phenomenon of döner kebab (Turkish for “turning meat”), bringing the favorite street food of Spain and Germany back to L.A. Their first location in Eagle Rock has done so well that they recently ventured downtown, and all seems to be running smoothly (except perhaps the paint job).

Spitz’s classic döner is an intensely seasoned combination of lamb and beef; it’s shaved thin and sandwiched in focaccia or wrapped in lavash with crisp lettuce, tomatoes, onions, green peppers, cucumbers, tzatziki and chili sauce. At first bite, it’s a taste of Turkey by way of Madrid, a warm pocket stuffed with succulent meat and spiced with oregano, garlic and cumin.

The falafel is also top-notch. Handmade chickpea balls (with some of the peas still intact) are accompanied by Kalamata olives, feta cheese, hummus and veggies. There’s no shortage of cumin here, but the tzatziki (and a caña of Craftsman Heavenly hefeweizen) will take care of that.

The döner plate—a basket of Greek salad topped with döner meat, seasoned fries, falafel, hummus, and fried lavash strips—is a deconstructed version of what you’d get in Germany, where döner sandwiches are often stuffed with French fries. The fries are so-so, and Spitz also serves a decent sweet-potato version, but save yourself a dollar and go for the lightly fried pita strips with hummus. Those on a budget can also order a la carte: a döner sandwich alone is a mere $6.47.

Pocket your change, or do as the Europeans do and opt for a taza de vino during happy hour. There’s a dollar discount on drinks from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. Spitz has a quaint wine list that makes room for local and international varietals, and the homemade cardamom sangria with chunks of wine-soaked apples and oranges shows Rademan and Wicklund have done their homework.

The only qualm is that there’s no sight of the Eagle Rock location’s gelato, though word has it there will soon be a mini fruit stand to satiate the sweet tooth.

Add a comment