Shawarma. Three syllables, fun to say — but what is it exactly? Until this week, I thought it might be something Indian. I was wrong. It’s something Mediterranean. And to my surprise, I’ve been eating it for decades — in the form of a gyro. I may get pushback from some people who think shawarma and gyro are distinct dishes, but try this definition on.

For readers uninterested in categories and semantics, let’s continue.

For this episode, I elected to feature dishes specifically called shawarma on the menu. Our contestants are: The St. Pete location of Zeko’s Mediterannean Grill, nestled in the heart of beautiful downtown Lealman (there are also two Zeko’s in Tampa); and Petra Restaurant, near the University of Tampa.

ZEKO’S MEDITERRANEAN GRILL

On Monday, we drove west on 54th Avenue North under threatening skies, but by the time we reached Zeko’s at 7 p.m., we’d cleared the dark clouds and were able to walk in sans umbrellas.

Two affable young people took our orders at the counter. For my Chicken Shawarma ($13.99) I subbed out the fries for rice and roasted vegetables ($2 upcharge). I spotted “Milkshake” on the wall menu and ordered a chocolate one ($5.99) because its all but impossible for me to resist a chocolate shake when the opportunity presents itself.

This Zeko’s isn’t much to look at. Its L-shaped dining room has mostly booths that can fit six. Bonnie and I sat at one near the counter. My seat was kind of lumpy. A Top 40 station played on low volume.

Appearance

The shawarma, half-wrapped in foil for neat eating, was longer than just about any other pita wrap I’ve seen. The portion of jasmine rice bordered on enormity. A heap of roasted red and green peppers, onions and tomatoes occupied the remaining section of the plate.

Texture and Taste

The shawarma made for a good hand-held — because of the foil, but also because of how well the stuff inside the thin pita was proportioned. The result: minimal leakage. The bread was slightly dryer than I prefer, even tough in places.

The pieces of chicken breast within, while nicely seasoned (I tasted cumin), were also dryish. But that was offset by moist peppers and onions and a yummy lemon garlic sauce.

The lightly seasoned rice worked well with the roasted vegetables, which had a measure of crispiness that I appreciated. The meal was far too much to eat, but the rice and veggies were good enough to box up and bring home.

I don’t think anyone associates milkshakes with Mediterannean food, and I didn’t expect a whole lot. Let me tell ya, this one was terrific. It flowed sublimely through the straw with medium suckage, and had just the right level of chocolate flavor. The shake didn’t fit with the food, really, so I drank it before and after.

On the ride home, while I sipped contentendly on the remainder of my milkshake — right down to the vacuum sound at the end — we were treated to the sight of a big, beautiful rainbow. All in all, it was a lovely outing.

PETRA RESTAURANT

At 1:30 on Wednesday, just walking a couple hundred feet on the sidewalk along Kennedy took something out of me. It was hot as [fill in your own blank].

I was grateful for the cool — and the quiet — of Petra’s intimate dining room. Out back is a covered courtyard with plenty of tables. They were empty.

Back inside, our server, a young fellow named Haydar, was low-key and attentive. I ordered a Chicken Shawarama Sandwich ($9) with Basmati Rice ($5.50).

 Appearance

The pita sandwich, smaller than the one at Zeko’s, was sheathed from end to end, first with paper, then aluminum foil. The mound of basmati rice was an enticing yellow.

Texture and Taste

Getting to the actual sandwich was like unwrapping a stubborn gift box on Christmas morning. A small price to pay, as it turned out.

The soft pita gave way easily to my bites. The chicken within — a mix of pieces, not just breast meat — was moist and kissed with a spice that was at once tangy and vaguely sweet. It was joined by an apt measure of onions, peppers and tomatoes, and a bit of garlic lemon sauce. (I obtained a small container for dipping.)

The rice, enhanced by a soupçon of turmeric, had genuine character. And there was a lot of it. It was tasty enough to take the remainder home.

And the Winner of the Shawarma Showdown Is …

Petra.

I enjoyed my meals at both places, but Petra had an advantage as a full-service restaurant. I detected better ingredients — especially the chicken — and food more thoughtfully conceived and prepared. I get the sense that Petra’s is not widely known, so I encourage anyone who likes Mediterranean food to make a visit. As for Zeko’s — it did provide a milkshake and a rainbow. Thank you for that.

A final thought: As I looked at two takeout containers in the fridge Thursday, I wondered if I’d actually eat the food in them. And then I thought of those two styrofoam containers ending up in a landfill or the Great Pacific Garbage Patch.

From now on I’m going to genuinely consider whether I really need to take restaraunt leftovers home. It’s something we should all think about. (As of publication on Friday morning, the remants remained uneaten.)