Mijana Cooking Class, Tempe

The name of the restaurant refers to Lebanese songs meant to inspire love, devotion, and holding oneself to the highest moral standards. It's far from coincidental—here one can sit in a spacious, simple yet elegant setting and enjoy carefully prepared food while listening to melodious native music. Every day, the chef lobs freshly made pita-bread discs into a wood stone oven, waits for them to puff up and lightly brown, then retrieves them with a large metal paddle for piping-hot delivery to tables. All meals at Mijana start with a basket of these pillowy loaves, revving up appetite engines for the authentic Lebanese dishes the chef and his staff are crafting in the kitchen. Leaning heavily on traditional key ingredients such as garlic, olive oil, and lemon juice, the chef whips up platters of flavorful dips and spreads as well as grilled kebabs and sautéed entrees. Music, belly dancing, and dance lessons pepper the calendar of this more than 5,000-square-foot venue, providing a lively complement to the night.