KITCHEN DOORS {where we ate this month}
PITA JUNGLE Various Locations Today, Pita Jungle is an Arizona staple for health-food lovers, but in 1994 it was still just the dream of three Arizona State University students — Bassel Osmani, Nelly Kohsok and Fouad Khodr. Needless to say, the Pita Jungle concept was ahead of its time, but its healthy food with Mediterranean, Middle Eastern, Greek and Lebanese influences was met with adoration at its first Tempe location. Now, there are 20 locations serving up an extensive menu featuring salads, pitas and lots of their renowned hummus. We had the classic but delicious falafel pita, which features a simple mix of tahini, greens, tomatoes, pickles and falafel wrapped into a warm pita. — Jamie Killin
THE DHABA Tempe In India, roadside restaurants called “dhabas” line the highways. Generally offering local Punjabi cuisine, these casual dining spots also serve as truck stops. The Dhaba takes these low-key dining destinations as inspiration, providing rich, robust Punjabi dishes in a warm and simple setting. We enjoyed excellent curries and well-spiced chana masala along with homemade breads baked in the tandoor oven. If you want to take the flavors home, take a spin by the small Indian market adjacent to the restaurant, where you can stock up on authentic spices and other ingredients. Located on Apache Boulevard in Tempe, this friendly eatery is an easy way to sample the dhaba experience. — Karen Werner
SUPER CHUNK SWEETS & TREATS Old Town Scottsdale Super Chunk is the award-winning creation of husband and wife team Sergio and Country Velador. Country, who was the highly celebrated executive pastry chef at Cowboy Ciao and Counter Intuitive, focuses on creating smallbatch, handcrafted treats ranging from pastries and cookies to special-order cakes. The attention to quality shows, with all of the cookies possessing the elusive handmade taste that’s often difficult to hold onto as bakeries gain popularity. While we weren’t able to get our hands on the nationally recognized mesquite chocolate chip cookie (which features Arizona mesquite flower and couverture chocolate!) due to high demand, we were incredibly pleased with their other highly sought-after options — the brownie and cookie baked together and aptly named the ‘brookie,’ the peanut butter, the chocolate chip and the brand-new white chocolate macadamia. — Jamie Killin
42 FRONTDOORS MEDIA | SEPTEMBER 2018
