{"id":292,"date":"2026-04-07T02:39:52","date_gmt":"2026-04-07T08:39:52","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.nmgastronome.com\/?p=292"},"modified":"2026-04-08T16:20:40","modified_gmt":"2026-04-08T22:20:40","slug":"gyros-mediterranean-albuquerque-new-mexico","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.nmgastronome.com\/?p=292","title":{"rendered":"Gyros Mediterranean – Albuquerque, New Mexico"},"content":{"rendered":"
\n
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Gyros Mediterranean on Cornell<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

It’s not easy being a gastronome about town when you make less than a thousand dollars a month and have a car payment, rent and a social life. Stationed at Kirtland in the early 1980s, my Air Force salary pretty much dictated that most of my meals were at the base’s chow hall (which thankfully was legions better than mystery meat meals at the Pe\u00f1asco High School cafeteria). The little that was left of my meager monthly take-home pay meant social outings were pretty much of the cheap eats variety.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>
The bright, airy dining area<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The epicenter for many of my off-site meals seemed to be Cornell Drive where it was possible to find restaurants with a broad socioeconomic appeal–restaurants which nurtured a refreshing open-mindedness toward the cuisines of the world. Within easy walking distance of one another on Cornell, you could find battleship sized slices of pizza at Nunzio<\/a><\/strong>‘s (now Saggio’s), the very best lamb burger and green chile stew in the world at the long defunct Sheepherder’s Cafe, half a city block of full-contact eating at the Frontier Restaurant<\/a><\/strong> and a gourmand’s paradise of Greek food at Gyros Mediterranean.<\/p>\n

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An Expansive Dining Room Showcases Posters on the Wall<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Though my first two years in the Air Force (happily served in the Boston area) introduced me to Asian cuisine of every type, I was virginal when it came to Greek food until returning to Albuquerque and discovering Gyro’s Mediterranean on Cornell. Back then, this was the place to go for the eponymous gyros, a popular Greek sandwich. Gyros, a blend of lamb, beef and aromatic herbs and spices is grilled slowly on a vertical spit then sliced thinly into a pita which is topped with tomatoes, onions and tzatziki, a savory yogurt sauce loaded with garlic and cucumbers. Both Gyros Mediterranean and I have grown up and out since then.<\/p>\n

Gyros Mediterranean has been a paragon\u00a0of quality, deliciousness and continuity for the more than 40 years it was owned and operated by Bill and Michele Hantzopoulos. \u00a0They retired on August 17, 2020. \u00a0That’s when they transitioned ownership to Panos and Miranda Marmaras, the \u00a0first and only people they reached out to when they made the decision to sell the the restaurant. \u00a0They had every confidence Panos and Miranda would maintain the extraordinarily high standards they had perpetuated for four decades. \u00a0For Panos, a native of Athens, Greece, owning a restaurant was the culmination of years of preparation and training.<\/p>\n

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Skordalia with Pita<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

When he moved to New Mexico with Miranda in 1999, Panos steadily climbed the proverbial career ladder–from the bottom rung on up. \u00a0He started\u00a0as a host at Yanni’s Mediterranean<\/strong><\/a>, then busser, server, and finally manager before moving on to manage El Patron<\/strong><\/a>. \u00a0His career progression was largely under the tutelage of Nick Kapnison, the renown godfather of Albuquerque’s Greek restaurant community. \u00a0There was no one better to learn from. \u00a0Ironically, restaurant management was not what Panos initially set out to do. \u00a0Panos attended chef school in Athens, Greece for a year after high school but while working at a caf\u00e9, he quickly realized he was more drawn to the front of the house.<\/span><\/p>\n

Miranda, an outstanding Technical Analyst at the University of New Mexico\u2019s Information Technology (IT) department won’t be involved in the restaurant on a day-to-day basis, but she’s a brilliant idea person and a true life and business partner to Panos. \u00a0No wholesale changes are in the offing for either recipes or the menu, but Panos is definitely putting his stamp on both. \u00a0Thus far, Panos has changed the salad dressing and added a vegan option. \u00a0He is making the moussaka and pastitsio in-house and has added traditional Greek dips Melitzanosalata (eggplant dip) and Tyrokafteri (spicy feta jalape\u00f1o dip). \u00a0He also plans on adding (my favorite) Taramasalata \u00a0 (an\u00a0addictive dip made from fish roe and often referred to as “poor man’s caviar.”) \u00a0He has also added lamb, pork, and chicken souvlaki.<\/p>\n

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Patates<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Panos and Miranda are also looking into adding a stacked pork gyro similar to al pastor but marinated in Greek spices.\u00a0 The current gyro is an amalgam ground lamb and beef but Panos would like to offer both options in the future. Panos has also added some Greek coffee options, a frappe, traditional Greek coffee, and are going to be expanding into espresso drinks soon. As for the beer and wine license, they have received the zoning from the city but are still in the process of finalizing paperwork for the State.\u00a0 It will probably be 3-4 months before that takes off so hopefully just in time for warmer weather and indoor dining if all goes well and Covid risks lessen.<\/p>\n

20 March 2021<\/strong>: Panos and Miranda were taking a rare day off on the Saturday of our inaugural visit under their ownership. \u00a0Cosmetic changes were readily apparent. \u00a0The dining room seemed brighter and more airy, the food preparation area more organized. \u00a0Several tables were placed on the sidewalk fronting the restaurant. \u00a0Because it had been months since our last visit, my Kim and I both opted for our very favorite gyro under spacious skies, a double-meat gyros<\/strong><\/em>. \u00a0We noticed several changes right off. \u00a0The pita is thicker, more capable of holding in the profusion of ingredients.\u00a0 Though it’s still advisable to pluck off a few shards of meat, that’s a task you’ll undertake happily.\u00a0 The superbly seasoned shaved lamb-beef amalgam is also thicker and just as moist as ever.\u00a0 Instead of sliced whole tomatoes, the gyros were garnished with delicious cherry tomatoes. \u00a0Tzatziki, as fresh and flavorful as we’ve ever had, was served on the side. \u00a0It takes two hands to handle this behemoth sandwich with flavors as majestic as the Parthenon.<\/p>\n

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Double Meat Gyros (Includes Patates and a Salad)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Appetizers (mezedakia) play an important role in the Greek table. Most Greek appetizers are salty or piquant (or both) and are often accompanied by ouzo (a clear anise-flavored liqueur). By tradition, appetizers are meant to be eaten slowly and while they are quite delicious, their traditional purpose remains to make drinking ouzo easier. Although Gyros Mediterranean doesn’t serve ouzo, appetizers themselves are cause for celebration.<\/p>\n

By far, the very most popular side dish or appetizer at Gyros are the patates<\/em><\/strong>, thinly sliced homemade potato chips served warm. They’re not quite as thin as conventional potato chips, but they’re so much better tasting, so much better than any you’ll find at any grocery store. Don’t dare desecrate these chips with ketchup or vinegar or any other condiment.\u00a0 Because she’s a vegetarian, Miranda can’t enjoy so many of the meat-based dishes on the menu, but she loves the patates.\u00a0 So does everyone we know.\u00a0 They’re fabulous!<\/p>\n

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Since Panos Assumed Ownership, Daily Specials Have Been Introducing Denizens of the Duke City to Wonderful Greek Specialties<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Among our favorite appetizers is one that may sound somewhat unconventional to the American palate.\u00a0 Greeks have long used potatoes as a vehicle for complementary ingredients. In Skorthalia<\/em><\/strong>, an appetizer at Gyros Mediterranean, potatoes served cold and the consistency of mashed potatoes are blended with lemon juice, garlic, olive oil and white wine. The tart-savory potatoes spread easily onto the pita bread and make for a delicious starter.\u00a0 We weren’t able to finish our skorthalia and were happy to learn it seemed to improve with time and it was pretty darned good to begin with.<\/p>\n

7 April 2026<\/strong>:\u00a0 You’ve heard the tired axiom “there’s no such thing as a stupid question<\/em>.”\u00a0 Actually there is…and I heard it when ordering the Paidakia Lamb Chops<\/strong><\/em> at Gyros Mediterranean.\u00a0 The cashier asked if I wanted three or five.\u00a0 Isn’t that a stupid question?\u00a0 Of course I wanted five lamb chops.\u00a0 All you have to do is look at me and know that three wouldn’t have been enough…especially when lamb chops are as good as these.\u00a0 Paidakia lamb chops are traditional Greek lamb chops, a true delicacy.\u00a0 They’re marinated in olive oil, lemon juice, garlic and dried oregano.\u00a0 Sourced from baby lambs, they’re grilled over high heat or charcoal.\u00a0 This means they won’t be served at medium-rare as so many restaurants prepare them.\u00a0 The lamb chops are magnificent!\u00a0 There’s no sinew or fat to get in the way of your enjoyment.\u00a0 You may be surprised to see just how good lamb chops can be at the “well” degree of doneness.\u00a0 A built-in “handle” makes them easy to pick up for gnawing.\u00a0 As a special of the day during our visit, these beauties were served with an outstanding feta-jalape\u00f1o dip, pita bread, patates and a Greek salad.<\/p>\n

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Paidakia Lamb Chops<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Though this gastronome about town can now afford more than the cheap eats of my youth, I still return often to Cornell where some of the deliciously diverse diners that sated me in my poverty are still appeasing patrons of every wallet size.\u00a0 Panos and Miranda Marmaras continue in the tradition of restaurant pioneers on this storied street, enthralling new freshmen cohorts at the University and the rest of us with outstanding Greek cuisine.<\/p>\n

Gyros Mediterranean<\/strong>
\n106 Cornell, S.E.
\nAlbuquerque, New Mexican<\/strong>
\n(505) 255-4401
\nWeb Site<\/strong><\/a> | Facebook Page<\/a><\/strong>
\nLATEST VISIT<\/strong>: 20 March 2021
\n# OF VISITS<\/strong>: 22
\nRATING<\/strong>: Outstanding<\/strong><\/span>\u2013A stand-out; delivers a memorable dining experience through a harmonious blend of exceptional food, attentive service, and consistent quality
\nCOST<\/strong>: $$
\nBEST BET<\/strong>: Double Meat Gyros, Patates, Skorthalia<\/p>\n

ARCHIVE (Before ownership change):<\/strong><\/p>\n

One of the most popular is the aptly named mezedakia<\/em><\/strong> (small plates of tasty morsels or appetizers). At Gyros, the featured tasty morsels are dolmades (vine leaves stuffed with aromatic rice), feta cheese, Kalamata olives and pita bread (all pictured below). The dolmades, although fresh and well seasoned, have a “canned” taste (very few restaurants make their own any more). The feta is of the wonderful breath-wrecking variety, definitely not recommended for a hot date. The Kalamata olives are mouth-watering with a briny flavor and meaty texture. The pita is unfailingly warm.<\/p>\n

5 December 2015:<\/strong> The saganaki<\/em><\/strong>, a slab of bubbly Green Kasseri cheese served with pita is far superior to the de rigueur cheesy fried mozzarella offered at chain restaurants. Crisp on the outside, soft and gooey on the outside, it is expertly pan-fried at your table then extinguished with a squeeze or two of lemon. As with other Greek appetizers, saganaki is designed to be consumed in small amounts, as part of a large spread of small dishes. The saganaki by itself won’t fill you up, but it will leave you sated.<\/p>\n

Another intensely flavored appetizer is tarama<\/em><\/strong>, a carp roe spread. I’ve heard tarama referred to as a “poor man’s caviar” and while I wouldn’t go that far myself, tarama is one of the most delicious things you can spread onto a piece of warm pita bread. The name for this dish is derived from the Turkish taramas<\/em>, which means \u201cpreserved roe,\u201d and salata<\/em>, Italian for \u201csalad.\u201d The dish is made by blending the roe with olive oil, garlic, and lemon juice to create a smooth, creamy paste, then adding body to the paste with mashed potatoes or moistened breadcrumbs.<\/p>\n

Some entrees include sides of Pepperonici<\/em> and Kalamata olives<\/em>, both of which are delicious. The Greek salad<\/em><\/strong> includes huge chunks of feta cheese, a sharp, fetid fromage. It also features red, ripe tomatoes, lettuce and a tangy Greek dressing that will awaken your taste buds. As with the gyros, the onions used on the salad are white onions which are much more flavorful than the seemingly more popular red onions.<\/p>\n

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My Friend Bruce “Sr Plata” Silver Enjoys a Spicy Chicken Sandwich<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

3 December 2019<\/strong>: What does it say about American pop culture that 2019 has been seen by culinary cognoscenti as “the year of the chicken sandwich?” That designation, of course, is based almost entirely on the popularity of fried chicken sandwiches at Popeye’s and Chick-Fil-A. Not one to follow pop culture trends–especially as they relate to frequenting popular chain restaurants–my friend Bruce “Sr Plata” Silver decided during his inaugural visit to Gyros Mediterranean to have a spicy chicken sandwich<\/strong><\/em>. This sandwich is wholly unlike the heavily breaded chicken sandwiches at the aforementioned chains. Instead of a single slab of poultry, Gyros’ spicy chicken sandwich is served shawarma style, a marinated chicken breast cubed, grilled with a spicy marinade and served on pita with lettuce, tomato, onion and tzatziki sauce. It’s not the most spicy chicken sandwich you’ll ever have, but it’ll titillate your taste buds and sate your appetite well.<\/p>\n

Dessert options include a bevy of baklava or baklava-like sweet treats, most resplendent in a honey sheen. A nice alternative is the tongue-twisting Galaktoboureko<\/em><\/strong>, an inspired custard pie sandwiched between flaky phyllo dough baked until golden then drenched with a citrus-infused syrup. Don’t buy the Homeric myth that the Trojan War started over Helen of Troy, the face that supposedly launched a thousand ships. the Trojan War started over Galaktoboureko, an epic dessert!<\/p>\n

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Galaktoboureko, a tongue-twister name for a terrific dessert<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

It’s not easy being a gastronome about town when you make less than a thousand dollars a month and have a car payment, rent and a social life. Stationed at Kirtland in the early 1980s, my Air Force salary pretty much dictated that most of my meals were at the base’s chow hall (which thankfully was legions better than mystery meat meals at the Pe\u00f1asco High School cafeteria). The little that was left of my meager monthly take-home pay meant social outings were pretty much of the cheap eats variety. The epicenter for many of my off-site meals seemed to be Cornell Drive where it was possible to find restaurants with a broad socioeconomic appeal–restaurants which nurtured a refreshing open-mindedness…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":79315,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_exactmetrics_skip_tracking":false,"_exactmetrics_sitenote_active":false,"_exactmetrics_sitenote_note":"","_exactmetrics_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[440,454,489,561],"tags":[928,924,930,923,927,926,929,931,925],"class_list":["post-292","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-albuquerque","category-greek","category-mediterranean","category-rating-outstanding","tag-athens","tag-cornell","tag-double-meat-gyros","tag-gyros","tag-miranda-marmaras","tag-panos-marmaras","tag-patates","tag-skorthalia","tag-unm"],"yoast_head":"\nGyros Mediterranean - Albuquerque, New Mexico - Gil's Thrilling (And Filling) Blog<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nmgastronome.com\/?p=292\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Gyros Mediterranean - Albuquerque, New Mexico - Gil's Thrilling (And Filling) Blog\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"It’s not easy being a gastronome about town when you make less than a thousand dollars a month and have a car payment, rent and a social life. Stationed at Kirtland in the early 1980s, my Air Force salary pretty much dictated that most of my meals were at the base’s chow hall (which thankfully was legions better than mystery meat meals at the Pe\u00f1asco High School cafeteria). The little that was left of my meager monthly take-home pay meant social outings were pretty much of the cheap eats variety. 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