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 PITA JUNGLE Various Locations 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 small- batch, 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 SUPER CHUNK SWEETS & TREATS Old Town Scottsdale 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 THE DHABA Tempe KITCHEN DOORS {where we ate this month} 42 FRONTDOORS MEDIA | SEPTEMBER 2018

Photo Credit: T. Cooks KITCHEN DOORS CONTINUED Photo Credit: Hana Japanese Eatery Hana is the kind of place that you either know about or you don’t, and if you do know about it, you know it’s excellent. I went with two dining companions one recent evening so that we could sample a broad variety of their sushi and ramen. It’s BYOB, so we ordered a lot, figuring we were saving money on drinks. Anyway, I dug into the sushi and particularly enjoyed the lobster roll, which was perfectly prepared. The Missus and our friend both enjoyed a bowl of ramen noodles that were hearty (a phrase not often associated with ramen). We split the pork dumplings, which were the perfect setup for the main courses and sushi. Hana has a good late- night vibe (we dined at 8:30 on a Thursday), so remember to bring your spiked beverage of choice and enjoy some of the best Japanese food we’ve had in the Valley. — Tom Evans Phoenix Hana Japanese Eatery