We hear that the U.S. shawarma industry may be in for a big boost, thanks to a couple unexpected moments of love during Marvel's The Avengers. Toward the end of the film, apropos of nothing, Iron Man asks Captain America, "Have you ever tried shawarma? There's a shawarma joint about two blocks from here. I don't know what it is, but I want to try it." The filmmakers also snuck in a little footage, following the credits, of the stars hanging out and digging into some meat pita (so you know: shawarma consists of spit-roasted meat, generally served in a pita with toppings like hummus, tabbouleh, and tahini, similar to Greek gyros). According to TMZ, sales of shawarma in L.A. went "through the roof" this weekend, with one shawarma joint claiming that sales increased by 80 percent, thanks to what we'll hereafter refer to as The Downey Effect. All of which only serves to bolster the stereotype that Angelenos will believe the hype, yet I can't help but hope the enthusiasm goes national. Because in addition to being fun to say, shawarma is also damn delicious. Go ahead and see for yourself with this recipe from Food & Wine for lamb shawarma. [TMZ]

FURTHER AVENGER-ING ON THE ESQUIRE.COM: In Defense of Hokeyness, the Box-Office Haul, the Pentagon, the Girl with the Gun, and the Downey, and the Rest

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