d i n i n g
Mr. Gyro Hero b y A n d y B u t c h e r
Everything is made fresh daily and mostly sourced from local growers, many of them other farmers’ market vendors.
Gyro Wrap
breakfast platter featuring boiled egg, salami, feta cheese, fresh veggies, homemade jam, and local honey with fresh bread. Among the beverages are Turkish beer and wine, a nod to Burak’s homeland he is glad to offer, good-naturedly pointing out that while Mediterranean means “Greek” to many folks, other countries in the region, including his own, can lay equal claim to the healthy diet and moniker. While they recognize that their Airstream Row move is a bit of a gamble, their confidence
L ong-time customers of Burak and Olga Akkans’s Mediterranean foods stall at Seaside Farmers Market received a bottle of champagne recently. The celebration: the Akkans’s move to a space on Airstream Row, one of the Emerald Coast’s most iconic open air eating spots. Fixtures at the Seaside weekly market for a decade, the Akkans now anchor the west end of the Airstream eateries line under the banner Mr. Gyro Hero. The superhero-style logo’s blue, white, and yellow hint at two flags—Greece, which for many people is synonymous with Mediterranean food, and Olga’s native Ukraine. Other food regimes have come and gone, but the Mediterranean diet has held strong since it was first introduced some 30 years ago, earning a spot on the world heritage list of UNESCO, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization. With its emphasis on seafood, veggies, whole grains, nuts, and fruits, Mediterranean eating has been credited with preventing heart disease and strokes, reducing the risk of Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s, keeping you agile, and increasing longevity. “It’s also very tasty,” Burak notes, patting his stomach with a smile. “It’s what we eat as a family,” says Olga. Burak has been part of the 30-A food world since before his farmers market residency. He worked in his family’s Fort Walton restaurant after they came to Florida from Turkey 16 years ago, and later with his brother’s
food truck locations. He also learned about business from buying and selling properties. Olga first came to the area as an exchange student and the couple met through mutual friends. She earned a master’s in mathematics and has taught in college while helping with the farmers’ market and juggling their two small children. The Akkans found a 1974 Airstream in Orlando to fill their Seaside spot. “It was
Meze Platter
originally from Oregon, but it had been kept in a covered area, so it had never seen snow; it was in great condition,” Burak says. They ripped out the RV interior—“We were sad to do it, but we had to”—and had a custom-designed kitchen fitted, complete with oven, burners, and a freezer. The meat spinner is positioned near one of the windows so customers can see as it being freshly prepared. The couple’s Airstream Row menu is an expanded version of the one the Akkans have offered across the way at their farmers market stall—which they are continuing. “We don’t want to forget our regulars,” says Burak. Everything is made fresh daily and mostly sourced from local growers, many of them other farmers’ market vendors. “We’re like family there,” says Olga. On offer are the couple’s signature hummus— regular and spicy, beet and avocado, roasted peppers— plus bean and Greek salads, and tabbouleh. In addition to their popular gyros there are chicken, beef, and shrimp kebab platters. Newly available is a Mediterranean
has been boosted by the support and encouragement of their market regulars. “People have been really pleased to hear about it,” says Burak. Plus, the couple has an adventurous streak—they got married in a helicopter high over the Las Vegas Strip. With much family unable to make the trip to the U.S. for the wedding, they decided that they wanted to make it memorable in another way. The Akkans have traveled widely since they made their home in America—he has checked off more than 30 states—and even had job offers in other parts but, “We like it so much here we never want to leave,” he says of the 30-A area. “We are excited and scared” about their Airstream Row arrival, he adds. “We don’t know what to expect; it’s a very busy location, so we are hopeful.”
Mr. Gyro Hero is located at 2215 E. County Highway 30A, Airstream Row, Santa Rosa Beach, Florida 32459. Call (850) 376-5864 for more information.
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