Israeli street food comes to central Phoenix

I had the good fortune to have a friend who introduced me to a new food stand that's bringing a taste of Israel to central Phoenix.

Driving the news: Mika's Kitchen opened last month at 648 W. Pierson St., near Seventh Avenue and Camelback.

• "It's our take on Mediterranean-Israeli street food," says owner Nate Harat, who was born in Israel and moved to the U.S. in 2000.

What to order: The menu is small but everything is great. You can get grilled chicken, super-tender slow-cooked beef or eggplant, either as a plate or a pita.

• Your food comes with the fluffiest pita pocket you're likely to find this far from the Mediterranean.
• There's several sauces to choose from, including hummus, tahini, a green hot sauce and their house hot sauce, orange infresno. I was lucky enough to get a bottle for home.

1 refreshing thing: Wash down your meal with lemonade infused with mint or rose water.

When to go: Mika's Kitchen is open only for lunch during the week, so stop by anytime from 11am to 3pm Monday-Friday.