Mediterranean meets Mexican at Feta Cowboy
The founders of Pita Jungle are adding Mexican flair to their iconic Mediterranean cuisine at their latest concept dubbed Feta Cowboy, which opened late last year.
What they're saying: "The Feta Cowboy is pita meets tortilla. It's carne asada meets shawarma. It's wraps meets tortas," owner Bassel Osmani told Phoenix New Times.
How it works: The fast casual spot at Warner Road and McClintock Drive in Tempe has some pre-set menu items, but most lunchtime diners during my recent visit opted for the build-your-own selection, which include bowls, pitas and burritos.
After selecting a base, you proceed through a Chipotle-like assembly line with protein choices including birria, gyro, falafel, chicken shawarma and brisket.
Load up on accouterments like rice, beans and roasted veggies.
Finish off with an eclectic drizzling of salsa, tahini or hummus.
The intrigue: I chose to build my own bowl, but was a bit bewildered by the thought of combining the Mexican and Mediterranean options.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
2 hours ago
- Yahoo
Bread & Butter Gourmet Deli in Tarpon Springs closing after 30 years
The Brief The Bread & Butter Gourmet Deli in Tarpon Springs is planning to close its doors after 30 years. It is known for its turkey, falafel and array of soups, salads, and pastries. The owners plan to sell the building to a seafood restaurateur. TARPON SPRINGS, Fla. - A beloved Tarpon Springs deli is closing its doors after more than 30 years. The Bread & Butter Gourmet Deli on Pinellas Ave is known for its turkey, falafel and array of soups, salads, and pastries. It has created a unique fusion of Mediterranean and Middle Eastern cuisine. The backstory The story of the deli started in Youngstown, Ohio, where owners Theo and Nellie Abbas met. Nellie said, "His best friend happened to be my brother's future brother-in-law. He brought me to a dance, a Greek dance. He met me there and that was it." From there, the couple moved to the Big Apple to learn the ropes of cuisine. "We had a deli in New York in Lincoln Center," Theo added, "One day I got up in the morning to go to work and it snowed. I had to clean four cars before mine. I said, 'forget about it. I'm leaving." Fast-forward to the summer of 1994, the couple purchased an old bank in Tarpon Springs, which would become Bread & Butter. "'94 I opened it. And the night before I opened it, Governor Lawton Charles came in here with 200 people. The next day, my line went all the way outside," he added, "I didn't think it was going to have an impact like that, so we didn't have enough food. We ran out of food." These days, there's a similar turnout after the couple announced they are closing the deli by the end of June. Nellie said, "We've gotten flowers. We've gotten cards and last week we got bombarded, we've had so many customers." READ: Odyssey Cruises in Tarpon Springs offers family friendly educational experiences The couple said they came to a realization. She said, "I don't want to start crying, but I got to go. We got to go." With Theo now disabled, they said it's time to slow down. He said it stems from an accident more than 20 years ago, "I fell off the roof and I struck my head, and I had a brain stem injury. I was in a coma at Bayfront hospital for 13 days. They gave me a 1-percent chance to live." Nellie added, "We have four great-grandchildren now. 7 grandchildren, so it's time to relax." What's next The couple plans to sell the building to a seafood restaurateur. Theo said, "It breaks my heart that I have to leave. But all good things must come to an end." Bread & Butter Gourmet Deli is located at 1880 Pinellas Ave, Tarpon Springs, FL 34689. CLICK HERE:>>>Follow FOX 13 on YouTube The Source Information for this story was gathered by FOX 13's Jennifer Kveglis. STAY CONNECTED WITH FOX 13 TAMPA: Download the FOX Local app for your smart TV Download FOX Local mobile app: Apple | Android Download the FOX 13 News app for breaking news alerts, latest headlines Download the SkyTower Radar app Sign up for FOX 13's daily newsletter
Yahoo
2 hours ago
- Yahoo
California Is The Only State With 4 Official Varieties Of Nuts. Here's What They Are
Along with having the fourth largest economy in the entire world, California is a major player in the global agriculture business. Not only does California produce most of the country's nuts, they also grow almost 100% of table grapes eaten in the United States, along with over 90% of the tomatoes in the U.S. that are used for processing. The state's Mediterranean climate makes it the ideal location for growing a diverse range of crops, so much so that California was altered to become a world-leader in agriculture. The production of tree nuts is so essential to California's economy that the Golden State has not one, but four, official state nuts: almonds, walnuts, pistachios, and pecans. It's difficult to overstate how massive almond production is in California. About 80% of all the almonds in the entire world are grown and processed in California. In the 2023 to 2024 crop year, California produced 2,446,000,000 pounds of almonds, and that number is forecasted to increase in the following crop year. Despite the gargantuan amount of almonds grown in California, they were ranked only 5th amongst the state's top 10 valued commodities, behind dairy, grapes, cattle, and lettuce. The billions of pounds of almonds are sold domestically, exported around the world, and used in an ever-increasingly popular dairy-free products like almonds milk. Almonds are among some of the top foods impacted by climate change, but the good news is that the almond industry is trying to become more sustainable. Read more: The Most Iconic Snack In Every State Walnuts, popular for their omega-3s and antioxidants linked to brain health, are another incredibly lucrative and important California crop. There were over 400,000 acres of walnut trees in California in 2024, despite a lower yield in the same year compared to past growing seasons due to weather, they still produced 603,000 tons of walnuts. California walnuts are exported all over the world, with Germany importing the most walnuts consistently over the last five years. Most of the country's pistachios come from California, although the nuts are also grown in Texas, Arizona, and New Mexico. The amount of pistachios grown in California is only expected to increase in the next five years due to newer trees and orchards maturing. As of March 2025, pistachio trees now eclipse walnut trees in acreage, at 22% compared to walnut's 16%. Almonds still overshadow both tree nuts at a whopping 62% of tree nut-bearing acreage. Pecans are the only type of tree nut that is native to the United States, and a healthy pecan tree can flower and produce nuts for a staggering 300 years. Pecans are sometimes referred to as "the other nut," as the production of pecans is vastly overshadowed by the other "big three" nuts almonds, walnuts, and pistachios. Such massive nut production requires an unfathomable amount of water in a state that is notoriously almost in a constant state of drought. Read the original article on Tasting Table.
Miami Herald
12 hours ago
- Miami Herald
Dutch Bros. adds breakfast menu to take down Starbucks
Dutch Bros. coffee started as a pure beverage rival to Starbucks and other coffee chains. It was a disruptor of sorts, as most of its locations are drive-thru only. It's a model that has been copied heavily by growing rivals like 7 Brews, but at the time it was a stripped-down, back-to-basics model. Related: One of Texas's oldest BBQ joints is closing permanently after 34 years The company literally began as cart way back in 1992, before the chain began franchising in 2000. It was a slow climb to becoming a real player, but it has steadily grown, reaching a milestone earlier this year. "On February 7, we opened shop number 1,000 in Orlando, Florida, 33 years after our founding and 3,000 miles from our original push cart in Grants Pass, Oregon. With a long runway ahead and conviction in our brand, we aim to open the next 1,000 new shops with the goal of 2,029 total shops in 2029," said CEO Christine Barone during the Dutch Bros. first-quarter earnings call. Don't miss the move: Subscribe to TheStreet's free daily newsletter She is quite confident the company will reach that goal. "We see a long-term opportunity to drive sustainable transaction growth by addressing structural barriers, bringing in new customers, enhancing frequency with existing customers and sustaining ongoing momentum in the productivity of our newer shops," she added. When you look at the Dutch Bros. menu, it's almost entirely drinks. The chain has expanded beyond coffee into smoothies, lemonades, iced teas, sodas, and more. It also offers a very limited snack menu consisting mostly of muffin tops. The chain does, however, see a growth opportunity in food. Barone spoke about that as well. "We see a clear path forward with Order Ahead, throughput and food," she said. More Food: Applebee's brings back all-you-can-eat deal to take down Chili'sPopular Mexican chain reveals surprising growth plansStarbucks CEO shares plan for a whole new menu The coffee chain has been testing a small breakfast menu in a handful of locations. "We are thrilled with the success of our limited food test launched late last year and are excited to continue testing and refining this initiative throughout 2025," she added. The hot breakfast menu includes four smaller-sized items: a sausage, egg, and cheddar slider; bacon, egg, and cheddar slider; chorizo wrap; and a maple waffle, according to Nation's Restaurant News. The test will be expanded to more locations this year. The coffee chain has taken a "move slowly" approach to growth. It's going to continue to do that. "Building on the success we are having with our Order Ahead initiative, we believe food can generate incrementality in the morning day part and drive frequency. Our approach to this test is both strategic and deliberate. We recognize the potential multi-year growth opportunity with our current food mix at less than 2% of sales," Barone said. Dutch Bros. has also remained focused on making sure it keeps its workers happy. "Our goals for this test are clear: maintain existing high levels of barista job satisfaction, continue to support throughput efficiency, minimize complexity, and offer a targeted assortment that allows us to satisfy our customers' craving for food while capturing incremental beverage opportunities," she added. Barone made it clear exactly how the company decided what it adds to its menus. "The pilot test has informed our decision to now offer eight SKUs, including four hot food offerings. With the completion of an initial pilot, we recently expanded this initiative from eight to 32 shops," she shared. Related: Burger King menu adds a wild new Whopper That's only the beginning, as Dutch Bros. sees adding breakfast as a massive opportunity. "Looking ahead, expanding the food test pilot is a crucial step towards a broader test and rollout anticipated to occur throughout 2026. This expansion aims to reach a wider potential audience and positions Dutch Bros more competitively in high value routinized beverage occasions," she added. The Arena Media Brands, LLC THESTREET is a registered trademark of TheStreet, Inc.
