When Florence and the Spice Boys opened its first brick-and-mortar location last month after a successful run with its long-line inducing food truck, it was met with plenty of foodie buzz. Turns out, the buzz around their Israeli-inspired cuisine is fully warranted and sure to grow to full-on infatuation.

“The reception has been great,” co-owner Florence Schmitt says. “We've had a brilliant start and we're so grateful that we had such a lovely following from the truck that have been so patient and loyal.”

My family and I stopped by for lunch this past weekend, and Sarasota clearly has a new breakout star with Florence and the Spice Boys’ chicken shawarma. They’re billed as tacos, and the shells are fresh, robust pita that engulf a high pile of chicken thigh. Schmitt tells SRQ that the chicken is marinated in her team’s signature spice blend. It’s served with a crispy pickled slaw, some mild banana peppers, and a spicy Middle Eastern sauce called zhug. There’s also tahini and an Israeli sauce called amba. Topping it all is a quarter of an expertly boiled egg.

It’s one of those dishes that’s at once so simple and yet the flavors tend to bounce from the fascinating to the complex. Each bite can take on a change in flavor profile. My wife’s turmeric fried chicken sandwich — based on the bites I stole — could be a contender for the area’s best fried chicken sandwich. And the chicken nuggets my six-year-old daughter ordered earned the coveted Summer Allen stamp of approval.

We finished our meal with a house-made chocolate chip cookie made with goldfish crackers. It’s such an interesting choice. You can definitely taste the subtle cheese flavor of the goldfish, and it works really well to complement the cookie’s sweetness.

The Florence and the Spice Boys team did an amazing job creating a sense of space at its new Landings location. They’ve opened up the front entirely with accordion doors and they offer some outdoor seating. The decor is at once familiar Floridian with a global appeal, and their kiosk ordering system was quick and easy.

There’s a reason their food truck inspired those long lines, and the new Florence and the Spice Boys location proves that it’s only the beginning of something beautiful.

Florence and the Spice Boys, 4990 S Tamiami Trail, Sarasota, 941-405-3890, facebook.com/spiceboyskitchen/