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Written by Stephen Friday and Ira Lu.

Next month, Eagle Rock’s “Home of the Döner Kebab” will begin its takeover of Southern California with location number two (of many more to come) debuting inside Little Tokyo’s Hikari Apartments.

In case you missed the ad-plastered storefront earlier this year, Spitz is filling the 2,000 square-foot space on 2nd Street beside American Apparel and Kimski Makes.

For owners Bryce Rademan and Robert Wicklund, the move Downtown means bringing a little flavor to a neighborhood where dining options can be a bit homogeneous, and adapting their successful brand to fit the unique lifestyle of its residents.

To that end, Spitz Little Tokyo has crafted a restaurant-by-day, lounge-by-night venue, expanding its concept to include a late-night bar to tap into the Little Tokyo’s growing nightlife scene.

A new bar menu and drink selection comprised of beer, wine and their variations (poured “European” style in smaller amounts around $4 a glass) will supplement the regular doner kebab plates.

Happy hours specials and live DJ music in the evenings until midnight will transform the casual, Mediterranean eatery to a social, lounge hangout — quite a leap from the original Spitz, whose interior could be compared to any Chipotle or Koo Koo Roo around the city.

And that’s not the only change you’ll notice.

Gelato junkies familiar with the Eagle Rock location may be expecting an alternative to Piccomolo’s Italian confection.

Unfortunately, Wicklund feels the over-saturation of frozen dessert options in the block radius around Hikari is cause to be more creative. He’s right. Instead, cinnamon-covered pita strips and fresh fruit concoctions will fill the void — the latter being inspired by the ubiquitous street vendors becoming more prevalent throughout the Downtown area.

Digesting the Doner

Doner kebab is a concept inspired by European street food found in countries such as Spain, Germany and the United Kingdom. Originally an import from Turkey into Berlin, the donor kebab quickly spread with Starbucks-like frenzy until there was literally one on every street corner. The European doner kebab (or “turning meat”) is greasy, after-club fare similar to LA’s bacon-wrapped death dogs.

Spitz made a name for itself in the world of foodie blogs a couple years ago by adapting the donor kebab to the California lifestyle — the dishes are flavorful and satisfying, yet light and healthy enough to eat every day.

Why?

Everything is made fresh in-house. Special recipes brought back from Spain by Wicklund and Rademan have been personalized with a “consumer perspective,” brought to reality by custom machinery built specifically to cure and spin meat.

The new location, in anticipation of a vast anti-sushi raid, will have own its production facility with increased capacity to crank out even more meat for the hungry masses.

Sure To Be a Hit

Spitz keeps a simple menu.

Choose chicken, beef/lamb (50/50 mix), falafel or veggie as the filling/topping for your foccacia sandwich or lavosh wrap. Then select a side: sweet potato fries, seasoned potato fries, or lightly fried pita strips with hummus. There are also salad options and “the doner plate” which is like an orgy… you get a little taste of everything.

Angelenic had the opportunity last week to sample a few of the classics. The vote was unanimous — we felt the food tasted light, flavorful and filling to our finicky palettes.

Meats were juicy, tender and well-seasoned to a kick — held together by thin, toasted foccacia that thankfully isn’t too bready. (I think it’s safe to say we all hate sandwiches made with bread-on-steroids, which many restaurants are guilty of.)

Portion sizes are generous and the ingredients, crisp and fresh. In fact, nary a wilted lettuce leaf in sight.

Worthy of a special mention are the shoestring-cut sweet potato fries. Think of why you love In-N-Out fries and imagine it with robust sweet potato flavor. (Kebabs step aside, these little crunchy munchies will garner a following of their own.)

Though we speak highly of the place for what it is, don’t get us wrong — Spitz isn’t breaking too much ground on the quick-eats front. Other new, healthier lunch contenders such as Falafel Express and Pastagina are within walking distance and have been met with glowing reviews. Competition should stay strong.

Still, consistent quality and friendly service may catapult this neighborhood joint into one of Downtown’s favorite lunch and late-night spots. A low price point, fresh fruit desserts and convenient hours from 11:00 to midnight daily should seal the deal.

-spitz fans, your wait is almost over
-spitz to open in little tokyo