Made with Love

Hon-Dah Resort Casino & Conference Center

Come play our 50 new Slot Machines including the Walking Dead! 11th Annual White Mountain Bike Rally

Friday June 26th & Saturday June 27th, 2020

On Site Registration: Friday 4pm - 8pm Saturday Starting at 8am $20 per rider -$10 per passenger

After a day of exploring the High Country, hiking, boating or fishing, come in from the outdoors and play in our 24 hour Casino on 800 plus “HOT” slot machines or try your hand at live Blackjack or Poker. Enjoy a meal from Indian Pines Restaurant and re-energize in the Timbers Lounge with live entertainment 6 days a week. After a fun filled day, relax in our heated outdoor pool or hot tub. Dream of your next adventure in one of our 128 oversized Hotel rooms. Bring your RV to the LARGEST RV Park in the White Mountains. Now with over 500 spaces. Free Lunch Buffet for a Veteran plus 1 11am until 3pm Must show Military ID or DD214 Poker Run on Saturday with $3,000. in prize money Bike Show on Saturday with $3,000. in prize money Give Aways Beer Gardens This is a rain or shine event 800-Way-Up-Hi - 928-369-0299 777 Highway 260 - 3 Miles S of Pinetop - www.hon-dah.com Pre-Registration ends May 1, 2020

On Friday September 28, 2018 Hon-Dah Resort Casino & Conference Center will host the The Run to the Pines pre-car show. Reserve your spot in the largest RV Park on the Mountain with over 500 RV spaces.

There will be a parade of pre-1970 vehicles. In the evening there will be a BBQ dinner, entertainment and giveaways. Open to the public. The BBQ dinner is hosted by the Run to the Pines Car Club.

Located at 777 Highway 260, 3 miles south of Pinetop, Az For more information go to “Hon-Dah.com” or call 800-Way Up Hi (800-929-8744) 928-369-0299 Located at 777 Highway 260 3 miles south of Pinetop, Az For more information go to www.hon-dah.com 1-800-929-8744

Made with Love Scottsdale is enamored with Agapi Pita

BY CHRISTINA FUOCO-KARASINSKI

Ashur Zai’s dream was to open a restaurant. So, when he married his wife, Nikki, in May 2018, the two embarked on a culinary journey with Agapi Pita Mediterranean Grill in Scottsdale.

“We love this kind of food and we hope others do as well,” Nikki says. “Ashur always wants to add more to the menu. I have to tell him to slow down. He has so many recipes. He does it out of love. He loves to cook.”

The salmon Greek salad and the chicken shawarma are top entrees at Agapi Pita Mediterranean Grill.

“Love” is the operative word here, as “agapi” is Greek for “love.”

“When you do it from love, everything turns out good,” she says. “I think it’s the energy. Every day we’re getting return customers.”

The Glendale couple have won over the Scottsdale Airpark businesses with their steak and chicken shawarma and their gyros. The chicken shawarma ($10.50) comes with marinated dark and white chicken, served with rice, pita bread, tomatoes, onions and tzatziki sauce. Steak can be added for $3.50.

The steak plate is marinated beef, broiled on a vertical skewer, thinly sliced and served with rice, pita bread, tomatoes, onions and tzatziki sauce for $10.75.

Chicken can be added for $3.50.

Gyros, pork, salmon, steak and hummus, and chicken and hummus plates are available, too, for $10.50 to $12.75.

Nikki hails from Chicago, while Ashur, who is Syrian, moved here from Sweden. Nikki’s Windy City in uence comes through via pizza pu s ($7 for two). The pastries are  lled with pork sausage, mozzarella and pizza sauce.

Ashur puts a Mexican spin on hummus by adding cilantro and jalapeno ($5.25, includes two pitas). The hummus is house-blended chickpeas, tahini olive oil, fresh garlic and lemon juice. Traditional hummus is available too, as is baba ghanouj (eggplant). Lentil soup ($3.50), dolmas ($5.50), the vegetarian platter ($10.25) and falafel and hummus ($9.75) round out the appetizers.

Salads—Greek, Mediterranean and Caesar—are available with or without protein. Unsure about Mediterranean food? There are chicken tenders,  sh and chips and hamburgers on the menu, too. Ashur makes everything from scratch with natural ingredients without MSG or chemicals. He keeps a keen eye on what customers order and what they toss because, perhaps, they didn’t care for the dish.

“I try to  nd what’s going on,” he says. “I’m very observant with customers.”

Food has a heavy hand in both of their lives. Ashur’s family cooked together, while Nikki’s brother owns restaurants around the Valley, including Olive Mediterranean in Phoenix and Pita Heaven in Chandler. He helped the couple start Agapi Pita Mediterranean Grill.

“He helped us with the back-end stu ,” says Nikki, whose father cooked in private residences in his home country of Iraq. “All the recipes are my husband’s, though.”

The Scottsdale Airpark location was perfect for them, as Nikki’s sister has a salon in the same shopping center. The location is a former hot dog restaurant.

Agapi Pita Mediterranean Grill has proven the couple can be successful, but there’s another bene t.

“It helps with his English,” Nikki says with a smile. “He speaks pretty good for only moving here in 2016.”

Ashur adds, “When I moved here, it was very hard for me. I wanted to  nd a good wife and family. It’s hard to move to a new country and start with zero. I was very, very upset with my life when I moved here—then I met Nikki.”

The Zais help each other accomplish their dreams.

“His dream was to open a restaurant,

The steak and chicken plate is one of the most popular dishes.

and when we moved in we couldn’t believe it was ours,” Nikki says. “It was so surreal. I wanted him to just pinch me. He was very excited, and for both of us it’s been a new adventure.”

Agapi Pita Mediterranean Grill 13802 N. Scottsdale Road, Suite 130, Scottsdale 480-626-9224, agapipita.com, agapifood@gmail.com