ALWAYS keep an eye on the food trucks, I remind myself as I settle back on an aluminium seat, at a rickety aluminium table on a pavement somewhere around the middle of Collins Street in Glasgow which, since you ask, is kind of on the fringe of Strathclyde University’s magnificently sprawling empire.
Towering edifices of erudition may face us, but down here with the common people while the winter sun shines, the air temperature soars and that generator chunters away contentedly. This is the place to be.
Beside me, two young North Face-clad guys that I have already worked out don’t even know each other are sharing a table, tearing their way into gyros.
Further down at the last table, three students are holding souvlaki aloft. Taking selfies. Or Instas, or whatever the hell it is is that good-looking food appears in these days. The man behind the window at El Greco is now leaning out, almost past the dangling, homespun, wind chimes and waving over. As I step up, his sidekick in this tiny kitchen-on-wheels steps back in through an open rear door, his momentary sweeping duties on the pavement outside over. I am handed my gyro with the words: “Your skepasti will be ready in a few moments, sir. “ I peek in. I can see a lot of placing, squirting, some gentle turning, complex assembling even, going on with that skepasti. But frankly: it can wait.
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“I’ll just eat this right now,” I say to the man. Turning back towards my table with fingers crossed that the gyro hasn’t already been nabbed, and that that sun still shines. “I’ll come back for the skepasti.”
And so it comes to pass that for maybe 15 glorious minutes thereafter there’s just me, the table, that winter sun and a gyro wrapped in puffy pitta, stuffed with grilled, and at times crispy, pork from the big skewer, salads, squirty stuff, mayo, drippy stuff and off course, wrapped right in the middle, hot, salted and just-fried chips.
A magnificent sequence of taste sensations follows, juices dripping, meat flopping, mouthful after mouthful chewed as though I don’t have a care in the world. Which right now I don’t.
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When all that’s left in my hand is some of the tattered paper wrapping, a few light tomato juice stains, a smear of mayo; when the mid-afternoon November glow has started to disappear behind – is it the Collins Building? – I’m already up collecting the skepasti and crossing the sleepy road to, and this is probably the best bit considering we are in Glasgow, my car – parked feet away in what was one of many free spaces.
From small food trucks mighty food kingdoms grow, sort of. Look at Ox and Finch, Ka Pao for a shimmering example of how good restaurants can be when the bosses cut their culinary gnashers on the simple stuff, in tiny kitchens.
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I’m back home when the skepasti is unboxed, still warm, surprising me with its appearance: uh? I’m seeing a quartered pizza-shape, the middle oozing with all sorts of things: peppers, vegetables and of course grilled meats.
This is apparently the Greek quesadilla: two whole pittas, grilled, stuffed, then cut into four. Honestly? It’s like a hot sandwich: pork and chicken from the grill crammed in with everything else to create a flavour bomb. We’ll have it for tea.
Well, most of it. I have already – yes, awkward this – eaten while collecting it and there’s more than enough for two full-sized adults plus.
El Greco then? It’s a simple place. It serves simple Greek food. It’s not the best gyro I’ve ever had. Not even November Glasgow sunshine can compete with what’s served on actual Greek islands. But the whole thing is put together with such care, there’s a feeling these guys take pride in doing it.
And it’s good value. As for the skepasti? My first. It’s different. Would I have one again? Yeah. Providing I have somewhere quiet to eat it, and a giant box of napkins.
Menu: It’s a food truck with a selection of gyros, regular or Cyprus, Greek salads, Skepasti and souvlaki. 3/5
Price: The basic bifter Gyro at £6.50 is a significant meal in itself, the Skepasti at £13.50 easily feeds two. 4/5
Atmosphere: On a beautiful winter’s day, with the sun shining, a free table on the pavement and a giro in hand? Hard to beat. In the rain… maybe not so much. 4/5
Service: Nice friendly guy behind the counter, two in total hard at work, quick, friendly and clean workers too. 5/5
Food: It’s a gyro outside Greece, and a good one at that. Stuffed with everything it should be, dripping with flavour. Interesting Skepasti too. 7/10
Total: 23/30
El Greco
Collins Street
Glasgow
Tel: 07835-699953
Opening hours: Closed Sunday - otherwise 11am-7pm
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