The Charlottesville 29

Where to eat in Charlottesville

Tag: Sultan Kebab

04/12/2024

Five Finds on Friday: Lorena Aparicio

Today’s Five Finds on Friday come from Lorena Aparicio, who this week celebrates her tenth anniversary of work at Sultan Kebab. Originally from Puebla, Mexico, Aparicio has been a key reason for Sultan Kebab’s decade of excellence and success. In addition to her picks, below are words of appreciation from Sultan Kebab’s owners. Aparicio’s picks:

1) Carnitas at El Puerto. “I like the carnitas because they are made with the flavor of my country.”

2) Enchiladas Verdes at El Comalito. “The sauce is delicious.”

3) Sopa de Gallina at El Ciruelo.”It is good quality chicken from Honduras, and has a unique flavor.”

4) Tacos de Carne Asada at Tacos Gómez. “I like their carne asada tacos because the tortillas are freshly made.”

5) Pupusas at Mi Casita. “I like their pupusas because they are soft with well-melted cheese.”

Sultan Kebab’s tribute to Aparicio:

We celebrate a remarkable milestone at Sultan Kebab restaurant – 10 incredible years with our dedicated team member, Lorena!

Lorena, your hard work and unwavering loyalty have been instrumental in our journey to becoming the thriving restaurant we are today.

We are forever grateful for your dedication, expertise, and kindness. Your presence has been a cornerstone of our success, and we cannot imagine Sultan Kebab without you.

As we mark this decade-long journey together, we want to express our heartfelt appreciation for all that you do. You are more than just a team member – you are family.

Here’s to many more years of delicious food, warm smiles, and unforgettable experiences together! Cheers, Lorena, and thank you for being an integral part of our Sultan Kebab family!

11/24/2023

Five Finds on Friday: Lora Henderson Smith

It’s a Thanksgiving tradition for a reader selected at random to participate in Five Finds on Friday, and, from the hundreds of entrants, this year’s winner is Dr. Lora Henderson Smith. An Assistant Professor at UVa’s School of Education and Human Development, Smith came to Charlottesville a decade ago as a grad student and has been on the hunt for delicious and affordable food ever since. Now with a three year old daughter, it’s often takeout, but she still enjoys seeking out great food around town. Her picks in the order she discovered them:

1) Hibachi Combination Chicken and Shrimp from Kabuto. “Bonus points for the super reasonably priced lunch special.”

2) Kao Pad Ka Pow with Chicken from Monsoon Siam. “It’s not on their menu any more, but occasionally they’ll still make it. I can always get it at Pineapples.”

3) Shrimp Casserole Platter from Sultan Kebab. “My husband first introduced me to this dish. Our household loves it.”

4) Hands On Breakfast with Chicken from Guajiros. “The cilantro aioli is to die for. I think this is currently my favorite meal in Charlottesville.”

5) “Burfday Muun Rox” Cake Tin from Caked Up Cville. “Because, just one cupcake isn’t enough, but a dozen is too much for my family of 3. The cake tins are perfect.”

 

 

 

06/03/2022

#4: Ottobun with Beef – Otto

The Doner Kebab

With origins in the Ottoman Empire that date back centuries, doner kebab and its descendants have become some of the most popular foods of the Western world. The beloved dish stacks slabs of marinated meat on a vertical spit, which rotates beside a heat source, charring the meat’s exterior as it slowly cooks the interior. To serve, thin pieces are shaved by slicing down the outside of the meat.

As the dish has spread around the world, it has inspired spinoffs: Greece’s gyro, Mexico’s Al Pastor, and Lebanon’s shawarma, to name a few. But, it is Germany that is credited with boosting the popularity of the modern-day version of doner kebab: meat stuffed into a pita, with any of a variety of salads, vegetables, and sauces. There are said to be more than 16,000 doner kebab establishments in Germany, and the sandwich has now spread through much of Europe, too.

For decades, though, this type of doner kebab was not available in Charlottesville. In 2020, Turkish natives Ali Sevindi and Haldun Turgay came to the rescue with their restaurant Otto. Sevindi and Turgay met while working at Clifton Inn, and dreamed of opening their own restaurant. They had seen the popularity of doner kebab elsewhere, and thought it would appeal to Charlottesville, too. How could it not?

Sevindi and Turgay spent months studying and perfecting their doner kebab. At Otto, guests can build a sandwich from an array of fillings, or choose from a menu of signature sandwiches.  Named with a nod to the dish’s Ottoman and German roots, the “Ottobun” offers a choice of beef, chicken, or falafel stuffed into pita with hummus, red cabbage, sumac onions, pickled cucumbers, tzatziki, and ezme – a Turkish paste of tomatoes and red peppers. A sign on Otto’s wall says: “It always starts with great pita!,” and Otto makes their own from scratch, soft and pillowy. In fact, they make just about everything from scratch, which may explain why one of Charlottesville’s top chefs called the Ottobun the best thing he ate all year.

#4: Ottobun with Beef – Otto
The Charlottesville 29 of Sandwiches

Others of Note: Doner Kebab Sandwich at Sultan Kebab, Beef Shawarma Manousheh at Thyme & Co. Vegetarian Alternatives: Ottobun with Falafel at Otto, Falafel Wrap at Aromas Cafe, Falafel Flatbread Wrap at Sticks.