Regulars to Vero Amore Dove Mountain probably wondered what was going on back in the fall when the Italian restaurant’s menu suddenly had samosas, biryanis and tandoori chicken.
It was Jimmy Aujil’s way of testing the waters to see how his Indian Twist menu would play to a Marana audience.
The verdict: After buying the 17-year-old restaurant at 12130 N. Dove Mountain Blvd. from , Aujil is rebranding it and has added Indian cuisine to the wood-fired Neapolitan pizzas that have been the restaurant’s signature since it opened in 2008.
The menu of pastas, sandwiches and wings is intact, but diners also will find a limited Indian menu including butter chicken, chicken korma, aloo gobi, chili paneer and vegan and chicken tikka masala.
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“People want something different,†said Aujil, who opened the upscale , 4660 E. Camp Lowell Drive, in 2018. “I think Vero Amore, being here since 2008, they haven’t changed their menu. ... People love Indian food.â€
The in Plaza Palomino on North Swan Road will not be affected by the sale.
Indian Twist owner Jimmy Aujil is bringing Indian fare to the Italian menu of Vero Amore Dove Mountain. He bought the restaurant in March from owners JAM Culinary Concepts.
Suzanne Kaiser and sons Aric and Josh Mussman launched JAM Culinary Concepts in 2006 when they opened the flagship Vero Amore on North Swan Road, not far from its present Plaza Palomino location.
That restaurant also is home to , a popular reservations-required speakeasy hidden in the restaurant. It opened in 2015.
Jimmy Aujla, shown in 2023 at his Fourth Avenue restaurant Zyka Twist, is bringing Indian food to his newest venture in Marana.
Amore is Aujil’s fourth ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥ restaurant. He has a location at 6801 S. ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥ Blvd., near the ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥ Airport; and Indian restaurant at 621 N. Fourth Ave.
Aujla, who found his passion for cooking when he volunteered in a Sikh Temple in his native India as a teen, was involved in several family restaurants in Washington State, Oregon and California in the mid- to late-1990s before coming to ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥ in 2014.
In addition to Italian and Indian cuisine, Amore serves a fast-casual menu of chicken wings, tenders and sandwiches inspired by ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥ Wings from a small space adjacent to the main dining room.
For a peek at Amore’s menu, visit
Contact reporter Cathalena E. Burch at cburch@tucson.com. On Bluesky @Starburch
Cathalena E. Burch
Reporter
