536401 Mon Jul 07 17:13:35 -0700 2008 26 1 San Francisco Bay Area 0 3846786 I love hummus, however its always hit or miss at most restaraunts and groceries. Please share your opinions on where to get the best hummus and fresh pita bread in the south bay and peninsula. Thanks Mon Jul 07 17:13:36 -0700 2008 130992 gandro 1 3847145 There's a Turkish restaurant on Murphy in Downtown Sunnyvale, Taverna Gyros, that has an excellent hummus and pita side. M&M, the grocery store on Stevens Creek and Blaney also sells both. TJ's has the 4-flavor hummus and pita for quick noshings. Afghan House on the border of Sunnyvale and Santa Clara on El Camino also has a hummus side that's divine. I think the Indian grocer on Rodriguez and De Anza Blvd. sells hummus; their nan (a worthy double for pita) is excellent. Mon Jul 07 19:19:09 -0700 2008 3846786 11175 The Ranger 1 3847324 I like Sabra hummus. You can always get it at the International Market on Curtner and Union in San Jose. They sometimes have it at Costco. Mon Jul 07 20:25:13 -0700 2008 3846786 16828 Judith 2 3847486 I like that store for their frozen falafels. And on fridays. they have beirut style large pita breads ..yum Mon Jul 07 21:47:58 -0700 2008 3847324 141107 JiyoHappy 3 3931002 Frozen falafels? I live in SW FL and when I last ordered a falafel pita from my favorite local Greek restaurant, they said they were thinking of selling their own falafel--frozen--since so many of us just love them. How do you cook frozen falafel? Do you deep fry them or just re-heat? I don't think I've ever seen frozen falafel in our grocery stores here, though I could be wrong. I've seen the boxed mix for it but not actual frozen falafel. Thanks! Tue Aug 05 06:41:10 -0700 2008 3847486 11983 Val 4 3931829 Deep frying is the way to go for these frozen falafels b/c they are big in size, about 1 inch diameter. Sometimes I shallow-fry them in about half inch high layer of olive-oil , that gives them a crunchy crust . There are some stores in the SF bay area which actually supply pre-cooked frozen falafels to restaurants and delis. Not all restaurants make their own falafels!! Tue Aug 05 11:10:40 -0700 2008 3931002 141107 JiyoHappy 5 3931969 Thank you! Tue Aug 05 11:50:12 -0700 2008 3931829 11983 Val 2 3914125 I love Sabra Hummus. I know my area Andronicos has a nice selection, think they 6-7 varieties of Sabra Hummus on the shelf on my last visit. Admittedly Sabra's not for everyone. My closest Middle Eastern friend doesn't like it. Wed Jul 30 05:28:30 -0700 2008 3847324 13964 J T 3 3914616 Sabra is my favorite store-bought hummus, too... Wed Jul 30 08:04:34 -0700 2008 3914125 50041 whiner 4 3914721 Sabra- Roasted Garlic is my favorite store bought. As far as bread, I have found the Middle eastern flat bread at Trader Joes s a good match for the hummus. The pita is kinda dry (like most pitas I have had). And the frozen naan in a pinch. Wed Jul 30 08:28:19 -0700 2008 3914616 67883 oaktowngirl 1 3856871 At Zand's in Albany they carry a delicious thick pita made by Aroma's Pizzeria in San Bruno. It's ingredients include flour, yeast, thyme, oregano and olive oil. Previously described on Chowhound by K.K. 3/2008 http://www.chowhound.com/topics/500962#3510639 And a link found by rworange also described by Candice in 2006. http://www.chowhound.com/topics/349513#2086847 Thu Jul 10 12:29:10 -0700 2008 3846786 105235 wolfe 2 3902559 Thank you for this. Fri Jul 25 18:42:52 -0700 2008 3856871 10133 wally 1 3863781 I struggled to find the best gyro. And then I happened upon Yiassoo. They have the absolute best pita bread. Sat Jul 12 21:40:06 -0700 2008 3846786 126038 lauercrnsw 1 3900479 If you find yourself around the Vallco Farmers' Market today between 9-1, Sukhi's has a booth there. I've not seen hummus but their eggplant, curry, and cilantro chutneys are way-cool! They also sell fresh naan. ABSOLUTELY a must-stop! Fri Jul 25 07:41:34 -0700 2008 3846786 11175 The Ranger 1 3927233 There is a brand of pita called Caravan at the Persian grocery store in Concord. It has a good fresh bread flavor, chewy, not too crumbly. I usually get the whole wheat version. Sun Aug 03 18:27:28 -0700 2008 3846786 67706 WCchopper 1 3927348 My absolute favorite hummus right now is from East and West Gourmet Afghan Food (www.bolaniandsauce.com) -- the plain is super garlicky and fresh. You can find them at Andronico's and farmer's markets. Everything else they sell is wonderful, too -- sundried tomato pesto, cilantro pesto, basil pesto, eggplant pesto...only thing I didn't finish was the lentil curry. In a pinch, the Trader Joe's Mediterranean style with pine nuts is tasty, if very rich, but I find the large container frustrating -- it always goes off before I can finish it. I've only had the spinach and pumpkin bolanis -- spinach was excellent -- the pumpkin was really good. It looks like they'll be adding fresh pita bread to their offerings soon if they haven't already...I haven't seen them, though. Anyone know? Sun Aug 03 19:14:31 -0700 2008 3846786 11323 melisky 1 3929404 The best best BEST hummous is Haig's. It's made by a local SF company and sold in several stores in San Francisco - I would check at a specialty or gourmet market in the peninsula? I think almost all store bought hummous is largely pasty guck, and I *love* Haig's hummous. It has a very light texture with a clean tangy flavor. Mon Aug 04 13:58:26 -0700 2008 3846786 10189 celeste 2 5000760 I tried Haig's baba ghanoush, and I couldn't even finish the tub. The flavor was OK, but the texture was all wrong, firm and thick like cream cheese, just really pasty and weird. I hope their hummus is different. Wed Sep 02 19:31:58 -0700 2009 3929404 11816 Agent 510 1 3930191 My favorite hummus in the Bay Area is at the Apollo Market & Deli on Fell at Laguna in SF. You can order containers of it at the deli counter and they always offer to drizzle olive oil on top. Mon Aug 04 18:53:56 -0700 2008 3846786 118197 CaitlinC333 1 4847254 Every since I started getting the super garlicky hummus at Gourmet Express, every other hummus doesn't compare. My second favorite version though is the one at Gulzaar. They give you a huge portion for the small - an entire plastic container of the stuff and pita for $4.25. (And this isn't a market either.) Fri Jul 10 13:23:48 -0700 2009 3846786 10992 katya 2 4848409 > the super garlicky hummus at Gourmet Express, > every other hummus doesn't compare. No way. I was there recently. I ordered the schwarma chicken plate (meat with four small sides). They were low on hummus and brought over an industrial container to refill the pan with. I couldn't see the label on the container from my table, but it looked familiar. The "schwarma" chicken was soft and moist -- wet actually. When I finished my lunch and went to the cashier to pay, I said that the "schwarma" chicken appeared to be _boiled_ and I asked where the (whatever it is) vertical roaster is, since I didn't see one in their kitchen. She said "we cook it in the oven." Hmmm. I pointed out again that the chicken was soft and actually WET, and she said, "Well, yeah, we boil it." Of course they do. It was easy to figure out. In taquerias that have lots of meat choices, they will have a "pollo asado" and a "pollo." The first is grilled and the latter is stewed. The schwarma chicken at GE is exactly like "pollo," it's stewed/boiled and has a soft/flaky texture. Not like any schwarma I've had at other places. Fri Jul 10 22:30:04 -0700 2009 4847254 85631 chow_eb 3 5000242 I ate at Gourmet Express again today. I asked the honor about their hummus, and she proudly told me how they made it in-house, and that she hoped to one day sell it at local markets. In fact their website includes their hummus recipe: http://falafelland.homestead.com/Recipe2.html Wed Sep 02 15:52:59 -0700 2009 4848409 10992 katya 1 4849499 Look for The Hummus Guy at the Alemany Market on Sat. I think he does other markets too. They have great pita and many flavors of hummus. He's from Petaluma but I think only sells at Farmers Markets Sat Jul 11 13:47:07 -0700 2009 3846786 52756 sonomajom 1 4850418 They have house-made hummus at Saffron Gourmet in Albany that is fantastic. They carry a variety of pita breads from the area, but so far my favorite so far is the large Afghani flatbread. If you go, I would also highly recommend trying the house-made dolmas! Sat Jul 11 22:40:19 -0700 2009 3846786 167075 little cook 1 4993866 I second, or maybe it's third by now, the shout-out to the Hummus Guy (of Tunisia by way of Petaluma). We found his goods at the Point Reyes Farmers Market (Saturdays, 9-1). OMG - his pita chips alone are to die for, terribly addictive, we had friends fighting over the crumbs. And his hummus (and olives) and other spreads are yum, yum, yummy. They are very very generous with giving tastes, and discounts, I bought two giant bags of pita chips (one garlic, one lemon), his regular hummus, his kalamata hummus, artichoke spread, and two containers of olives (one spicy green, one black), and it cost $22. Too cheap! I will also say that indeed Zand's on Solano Ave in Berkeley/Albany has excellent pita and the store-bought Sabra's is a favorite. Further, the various spreads from Bolani, the Afghan guy who we've found at the Temescal (Oakland) market, and also in grocery stores - Berkeley Bowl I think - very very good, also very generous as to samples. Spread the love! Love the spread! Mon Aug 31 14:43:30 -0700 2009 3846786 1105995 MeerKatya 1 4996228 Gulzaar's is excellent. A little garlicky, slightly lemony. Comes with a plate of pita they're happy to refill for free. They do a lot of to-go business so it'd be easy to pick up. Tue Sep 01 11:18:12 -0700 2009 3846786 10992 katya 1 5000928 I am very partial to the hummus at Good Frikin Chicken -- for me it is the best anywhere -- and it hasn't been mentioned yet. Their chicken (rotisserie version not the grilled one) is darn good too, maybe the best (if they haven't run out). The hummus is very smooth, very complex in flavor, but with little or no cumin, and not too raw in garlic. Just right Wed Sep 02 20:34:27 -0700 2009 3846786 270083 Thomas Nash