Middle East Best Food Makes the Best Pita Bread in Miami

Jacob Katel

Ali Aziz at work in his bakery.

​Ali Aziz of Middle East Best Food says, "I make best pita in all of Miami, whole state, maybe whole country." The humble baker has almost 40 years' experience as a shop owner and baker in Miami.

But his roots go all the way back to Jerusalem. In the 1950s, he worked there as a baker at the Hotel InterContinental. On a recent visit, we heard a 30-something blue-jean-clad lady customer say, "Let me have the spinach falafel. I know my husband likes those." To which Ali quipped, "Of course he likes them, because they're good."

He bakes the old-fashioned way, hand forming his pita dough. Aziz explains, "Everybody else, they use a machine. But that changes the whole flavor. It's not right. Mine is better."

If you want to taste the real deal -- and trust us, it is awesome -- you better get there fast. "Next year, I retire. I have somebody wanna buy the shop." But for now, Aziz is working as hard as ever. "I will be 65 this year. You eat right, work hard, exercise, and you will live a good life too." Middle East Best Food's warbat is one of our favorites, and the shop stocks all sorts of foreign products and ingredients.

Here are some pictures showing the pita-baking process.

Begin with some well-formed dough.

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Collect the dough.

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Place the pieces on a baker's shovel.

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