Looking for Greek Grocery/Food Item (Phoenix, Scottsdale: transplants, neighborhood, buy)

[ivanabacowboy]

I want to make a Greek dish called Pastitsio. Essentially a Greek variation on lasagna with ground meat and tomato sauce seasoned with cinnamon and topped with a bechamel-type sauce. HOWEVER, traditionally it is made with a type of pasta which I forget the name-looks like macaroni but is straight, hollow and about 12 inches long. A long, straight tube pasta.

Back in Cleveland, we had a decent sized Greek community, and the churches did annual festivals where you could buy Greek food and grocery items. So usually I would pick up a few boxes when I went to the festivals.

Anywhere I can buy this in Phoenix? Does Phoenix have a Greek community? Preferably somewhere in the NE Phoenix/Scottsdale area, tho I would consider a bit longer of a drive if I had to. I would assume being so many transplants there has to be at least a little bit of everything here. ;-)

I suppose I could substitute ziti or penne or even macaroni, but the long tube pasta IMHO makes this dish.

Thanks!

[ivanabacowboy]

I found what I think is a middle eastern market doing a google search. Baiz at somewhere around Washington & 20th. Looks to be somewhere near the airport. Seems to have gotten pretty good reviews online. May take a drive and check it out.

[exit2lef]

Baiz will have it. So will the Middle Eastern Deli on 16th St. near Osborn.

Closer to you, I'd suggest trying Yusef's at Cave Creek & Greenway.

As for those church-sponsored festivals with food markets -- there are a few in Phoenix. The one I know best occurs in late September at Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Church at 20th St. & Maryland near Piestewa Peak. There's another one that occurs each May at Tempe Beach Park. I think there may be another in Scottsdale, but I can't remember when.

[ivanabacowboy]

Thanks silverbear! Looks like I need to call my sister (she lives nearby and is a fellow foodie and will travel for food lol!)--time for a road trip. ;-)

According to what I could dig up in google, Yusef's is closed on Sunday. Darn-that is probably a bit closer than the other. So maybe we will checkout Baiz today, do lunch and save Yusef's for our next foodie trip.

[Robert A]

Originally Posted by ivanabacowboy

Thanks silverbear! Looks like I need to call my sister (she lives nearby and is a fellow foodie and will travel for food lol!)--time for a road trip. ;-)

According to what I could dig up in google, Yusef's is closed on Sunday. Darn-that is probably a bit closer than the other. So maybe we will checkout Baiz today, do lunch and save Yusef's for our next foodie trip.

Yusef's is super yum. I wish they were open today - I could use some shawarma. Can't go wrong with Baiz, though.

[saved1986]

I am greek american and I use ziti to make my pastichio. But anyway, go a greek orthodox church (make sure you go an hour late, because the services are 2 hrs minimum) and go to the coffee hour after church and ask where to find it.

[ivanabacowboy]

I called the sister. She told me she would not go down to Baiz on a weekend because we would be the only caucasian women in sight. That on the weekends the neighborhood is pretty much people visiting folks in jail. But during the week is ok because it is by the courthouse and there are all types of business folks down there.

She then suggested another middle eastern market somewhere off Rural near ASU. But she couldnt go. I wrote it down (but left the name in the car). But I figured I'd make one last ditch effort to get out of the drive. If there was any store in the valley that carried something unique and high priced and it wasn't Whole Foods, it would be AJ's. Yep, found bucatini at AJ's. (Of course probably 4 times the price it would be anywhere else but...) So my pastitsio is happening after all.

Tho I will definitely checkout Yusef's soon.

saved1986-thanks for the tip. I had some Greek friends back in Ohio and they also told me about very lengthy services. The only food I ever tried at a festival that I didn't care for in the least was a lamb dish. It was yucky. Tho I think it was just the preparation, because I have also had lamb other times and it was pretty good. I am not doing ground lamb in the pastitsio-I couldnt pull it off on my son, so going with ground beef.

[Robert A]

Originally Posted by ivanabacowboy

I called the sister. She told me she would not go down to Baiz on a weekend because we would be the only caucasian women in sight. That on the weekends the neighborhood is pretty much people visiting folks in jail. But during the week is ok because it is by the courthouse and there are all types of business folks down there.

Is that a safety concern? Seriously, nothing is going to happen to you. You're going to a middle-eastern grocery, not hanging out in the neighborhood on a weekend night.

[LocoAZnative]

Originally Posted by ivanabacowboy

I called the sister. She told me she would not go down to Baiz on a weekend because we would be the only caucasian women in sight. That on the weekends the neighborhood is pretty much people visiting folks in jail. But during the week is ok because it is by the courthouse and there are all types of business folks down there.

She then suggested another middle eastern market somewhere off Rural near ASU. But she couldnt go. I wrote it down (but left the name in the car). But I figured I'd make one last ditch effort to get out of the drive. If there was any store in the valley that carried something unique and high priced and it wasn't Whole Foods, it would be AJ's. Yep, found bucatini at AJ's. (Of course probably 4 times the price it would be anywhere else but...) So my pastitsio is happening after all.

Tho I will definitely checkout Yusef's soon.

saved1986-thanks for the tip. I had some Greek friends back in Ohio and they also told me about very lengthy services. The only food I ever tried at a festival that I didn't care for in the least was a lamb dish. It was yucky. Tho I think it was just the preparation, because I have also had lamb other times and it was pretty good. I am not doing ground lamb in the pastitsio-I couldnt pull it off on my son, so going with ground beef.

Probably Cafe Istanbul & Market

Cafe Istanbul & Market - Tempe, AZ

or

Haji-Baba Middle Eastern Food

Haji-Baba A Middle Eastern Restaurant - Tempe, AZ

[observer53]

ivana-

Your sister must be thinking of some other place, or doesn't know Phoenix well. 500 block of north 20th St (the address for Baiz Market I found online) is nowhere near a jail or a courthouse. It would be fine on the weekends to stop in and shop for what you need. From the reviews I saw online, the prepared food sounds good, too.