Nazareth Bread Company's Shawarmas | The Hottest new lunch spot in town.

Shawarma was amazing.

Rewind to about four months ago, and I'm wandering around the Middle-East and I was determined to get a shawarma from some back-alley street-vendor and try this legendary sandwich. I'm not sure what happened on the trip, but I never actually got one, and I've regretted it everyday since. (There's also a baguette version in France akin to the Le Americain served with french fries on the inside.) Today, I got my wish when I visited Nazareth Bread Company and Middle-Eastern Bakery on West Market Street. This place has only been open for three weeks and there was a line out the door and every one of the customers was ordering, their speciality, the shawarma. Behind the counter is the schawarma altar, two of them actually, where the glistening lamb is attached to a vertical rotating apparatus (a spit) and heated by an element akin to your toaster. (Shawarma actually means "spinning meat") As the meat slowly rotates for up to a day, the fat and juices permeate throughout the delicious meat till it's shaved, then quickly, it's fried before being placed in an open pocket of flat-bread with grilled onions, hummus, tahini sauce, lettuce and tomato. (I go sans hummus.) Your right knee begins to shake at just the thought of this amazing sandwich, and your mouth starts watering like Pavlov's dogs at the sight of it. Even more amazing is at only $5.50, it's not like you're going to have to worry about the addiction this place is going to cause. Though we did see a homeless man on the corner of Muris Chapel and wondered if he got there spending all his money on shawarmas.

The Menu is not necessary: "one shawarma please."

It's like where Jesus first ate a Shawarma.

Interestingly the Wall Street Journal did an article on how shawarmas are becoming the de facto food as troops return from the wars in the Middle-East and demand their war time meals. America is developing a taste for the Arab cuisine.

Shwarmas are one of those world comfort foods, popular everywhere, (that up till now, America hasn't quite caught on to,) a bucket-list item if you haven't yet, and this place, Nazareth's, does everything right. Even the cook, a gentlemen of ethnic origin (which is how you know it's going to be good) seems to actually care that you're there as he tells each customer despite how many times they've been there: "Ah! There's my favorite customer!" It's a friendly and welcoming place where food is the conduit to bring people together.

Whirl-o-meat.

If this is only three weeks, give them a year.

Interestingly, we also bought a Napoleon while there. Yes, I finally found my Napoleon, and it was good too. Not quite the one I had in Paris, but amazing in it's own right. (unlike that crap at the Fresh Market.) In fact, everything in the bakery, including the bread, was superb. Considering my reputation for writing reviews that put one bakery out of business (cough, Simple Kneads), perhaps you'll understand the gravity of my statement when I say that, this place, these breads, are the best in Greensboro. This is what good food is about, this place, Nazareth Bread- mark my word is destined for greatness.

Okay, who robbed a Subway of their deli-cases?

Go and get a shwarma for lunch and a Napoleon for dessert (take some of their famous flat bread home for dinner) and tell me this, what other food in Greensboro can take you to another world for under $6? When did Greensboro, become gastronomically cool again? Apparently, about the time Nazareth Bread Company came to Greensboro. God, I love this place