Greek Catering: Gyro, Greek Salad & Baklava

The Greek side of the Aladin catering menu is built around a few dishes that travel well and please almost everyone: sliced gyro, a big Greek salad, cool tzatziki, spinach pies and baklava. Here is what each one is, how much to order and how it compares with shawarma, the dish people most often mix it up with.

Gyro trays

Gyro meat is a lean blend of lamb and beef, lightly seasoned, broiled and sliced thin. The word comes from the Greek gyros, "turn", for the vertical spit it cooks on. On a buffet it is the easiest main there is: guests pile it on bread or over rice, add tomato and onion and spoon tzatziki over the top.

A small tray ($65) serves 10–12 and a large tray ($120) serves 20–22. For a crowd that loves gyro, order gyro sized for your full headcount as the only main (for 40 guests, 2 large trays), or pair a small gyro tray with a small chicken shawarma tray so guests can try both.

Rolled gyro platters

If you would rather skip the build-your-own line, the rolled sandwich platter is ten rolled sandwiches of your choice in tortilla or pita, cut and arranged on a platter ($100 for 10). Gyro is one of the choices, and you can mix in chicken, falafel or hummus rolls for the same price. Platters work well for a standing crowd, a team after practice or a meeting where people eat at their desks.

Greek salad

The Greek salad tray is mixed greens, tomatoes, cucumbers, pepperoncini, Kalamata olives, lemon, herbs and scallions, with your choice of dressing. It is marked vegetarian on the menu. Sizes and prices: $45 small / $65 large. One tray of the same size as your main is usually right; Greek salad goes fast at a party, so round up when in doubt.

Tzatziki

Tzatziki is a cool yogurt sauce with cucumber and garlic, and it is what makes a gyro taste like a gyro. It is sold in 16 oz containers ($7 16 oz). Tzatziki comes with gyro trays; ask us how much is included for your tray size, and add extra 16 oz containers if you want some for bread or dipping. A 16 oz container is about two cups; as a rough guide, plan one container per small tray of gyro, and more if it doubles as a dip for bread.

Spinach pies

Spinach pies are dough shells stuffed with spinach, onions and sumac, sold by the dozen ($24 a dozen). They are a close cousin of the spinach pastries found across Greece and the Levant, and they are marked vegetarian. Serve them at room temperature as a starter, or give vegetarian guests two or three each alongside the salad.

Baklava

Baklava is layers of phyllo, chopped nuts and syrup, baked and cut into bite-size pieces. Greece, Turkey and the Levant all claim it, and all make it well. On a dessert table, plan one or two pieces per guest: $50 small / $90 large. Baklava contains nuts, so label it on the buffet.

Gyro vs shawarma

Both are meat stacked on a vertical spit and sliced as it roasts, and both descend from the Ottoman döner. The differences are in the meat, the spices and the sauce.

	Gyro	Shawarma
Where it's from	Greece	Lebanon, Syria and the wider Levant
Our meat	A lean lamb and beef blend	Marinated chicken or marinated beef
Flavor	Mild and lightly seasoned	Warmer spices, with a longer marinade
Usual sauce	Tzatziki	Garlic sauce with chicken, tahini with beef

For a group, they make a good pair. More on shawarma trays, kabob skewers and sauces is on the kabob and shawarma catering page.

A Greek spread for 20

This order covers 20 guests with gyro as the main, rice, Greek salad, bread and baklava. Add tzatziki by the container and a dozen or two spinach pies to taste.

Qty	Item	Price
1	Gyro, large tray	$120
1	Rice, large tray	$50
1	Greek Salad, large tray	$65
2	Tandoori Bread, dozen	$32
1	Baklava, large tray	$90
	Food total	$357
	Per guest	about $17.85

Food only, at today's menu prices, before tax and delivery ($10 to $30 by distance). Trays are counted at the low end of each size's range.

How to order

Place and confirm your order 24 hours ahead. Pick up at the restaurant, 9901 Southpoint Parkway (open from 11 am daily), or we deliver anywhere within 50 miles of it, to offices, homes, churches and venues. Delivery is $10 for addresses within 20 miles of the restaurant, $20 for 20 to 40 miles and $30 for 40 to 50 miles. See every tray on the catering menu, request a quote or call (540) 372-7755. Planning a bigger party? The party catering page has more ideas.