Toshka Syrian Street Food is a (mobile) home away from home

Since Taboule Café closed its doors on Turkey Lake Road back in 2012, there really hasn't been a restaurant dedicated to the cuisine of Syria. The café's tisiyeh , a Syrian breakfast staple of pita soaked in chickpea water, tossed in yogurt, tahini, lemon and pomegranate molasses, then finished with pine nuts, sumac, parsley and a host of other garnishes, is a dish I'm still trying to replicate. What chilaquiles is to Mexicans, tisiyeh is to Syrians. But I may set aside perfecting that pre-noon pick-me-up and try my hand instead at toshka . The motivation came after indulging in the Syrian street food staple from a Longwood-parked food truck appropriately named Toshka Syrian Street Food.

The preparation seems easy enough — spread ground, seasoned lamb across the circumference of a pita, then layer on some of the Arabic cheese most Levantines just call "Chicago cheese" before folding it and sandwich-pressing it to a crisp. Grilling the pita on both sides in a grill basket over charcoal is even better, but, regardless, Toshka Syrian Street Food does it right. Izzat, the truck's owner, and Nadir, the chef, rolled out their blue truck earlier this year and found a permanent place to park it — a backlot with a lakefront view behind the RI Smoke Shop off 17-92 in Longwood near the intersection of Laura Street.

Izzat and I chatted away as they prepared my food. We discussed this "Chicago cheese" (it's a white, unripened cheese similar to queso panela), the seasonings they use in the meat (he dodged those questions, saying only it's "a closely guarded secret") and how his chef once ran a restaurant in the historic city of Homs before it was torn asunder during the Syrian civil war. Bringing the tastes and flavors of one's homeland after fleeing it has become a common theme in the politics of foodways. But finding solace through food and the glimmer of joy it can provide to those preparing it has to count for something. I could see their grins after witnessing first-timers (myself included) grunt and coo approvingly after crunching into the cut-up triangles of toshka ($13.99), following a cursory dip into creamy garlic sauce. What quesadillas are to Mexicans, toshka are to Syrians.

I noticed chicken shawarma ($11.99) rotating on a vertical spit. "We make it fresh every morning," Izzat told me, and when I ordered it on a return visit, it did the job. But what I wanted on this visit was the sujuk sandwich ($12.99), a heavily spiced, casing-less beef sausage that's spread into a hoagie roll with tomatoes and pickles and pressed with a little butter. I got it as a meal with fries and a drink for $2.50 extra, and it was the sort of midday repast that made me think how much I'd enjoy eating this for breakfast. They could even put that meat in sheep casings to make actual sausages ( makanek ) and serve it with scrambled eggs — I'd go back for that, just as I would their falafel ($11.99). These Syrian versions of the ubiquitous chickpea fritter take on a slight golden hue and resemble Little Debbie Mini Donuts. They come with a side of tahini and hummus and are topped with thin triangles of grilled pita.

I should mention that orders take at least 20 minutes to prepare, so it's best to call ahead. And if you have to wait, don't sweat it — not with Florida's winter season looming. In the coming weeks, Toshka's tables overlooking Lake Fairy will fill up fast, so it goes without saying that if you're in the vicinity, it's worth making a pita stop.