Some of the best things in life are found between bread. Especially when that thing is meat. And especially, especially when that meat is lamb and beef.

I think the mixture of lamb and beef in Middle Eastern street food is ingenious. The gamey twang of lamb links up with the fatty richness of beef almost seamlessly, especially when the two are ground together and roasted on a spit. The iconic kebab. Of course, the shawarma is the sandwich with the most prolific use of kebab, but my favorite might be the toshka.

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A toshka is a sandwich with deep roots in Syria, having originated in Aleppo and later migrating to Damascus. Once there, the sandwich morphed to use sujuk, a spicy fermented sausage, whereas its older Aleppian version employs kebab meat. This is the version you can find at Flames Mediterranean & Grill on S. Highland Street. 

The toska is very simple: ground meat, melted cheese and pita. When I ordered it, I heard the cook clanging the side of his flat spatula against the flat-top grill, chopping up the kebab meat. This excited me more than I can reasonably explain, but it’s because of this: The cacophony of metal tinging and meat sizzling is the same sound you hear when you order a chopped cheese at a New York City deli.

Am I overreaching by calling the toshka the Syrian answer to the chopped cheese? Maybe. But it’s pretty dang close. An entire pita is stuffed with the chopped and seared lamb and beef kebab and coated in a steamy layer of melted white cheese. I believe that the sandwich traditionally uses halloumi or akkawi, but the version at Flames uses mozzarella. And I can’t hate on it. It works.

The pita is soft and fresh and tender — a loving, pillowy vehicle for the spicy and earthy meat. It comes with a fat pile of seasoned fries and a ramekin of laban, creamy yogurt sauce.

In some ways, the toshka outdoes a chopped cheese for me. The flavors are cleaner and more complex; the fresh pita is lighter than Western white bread; and though it’s not overwhelming, you get more than enough food for one person. Plus, it’s only $8.50. Make sure you ask for some spicy sauce on the side — it’s good for dipping and spreading.

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Of course, I couldn’t leave Flames without sampling the falafel. It’s $7.95 for an order of six — not the best-valued falafel I’ve had out there but it’s tasty and moist, no doubt. Plus, the tahini-heavy hummus it comes with is awesome to mix with the laban. If you’re feeling something not fried and a little lighter, the spicy fava bean dip with green chili sauce is as refreshing as it is fiery.

And, while I’ve heard good things about the chicken wings, it’s going to take a lot to pry me away from the Middle Eastern food at Flames. I don’t have a hard time fantasizing about a Super Bowl party flowing with kebab skewers and tabbouleh.

Flames Mediterranean & Grill, located at 546 S. Highland St., is open 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. Mondays through Wednesdays; 11 a.m. to midnight, Thursdays through Saturdays; and noon to 10 p.m. Sundays.