151749 Thu Apr 28 15:07:00 -0700 2005 12 12 Boston Area 0 814629 Does anyone know of a good place to get good persian/iranian food? Preferably in the Arlington/Somerville/Cambridge area, but its kind of a obscure request, so I'd be willing to travel. Thanks in advance, Nikki Thu Apr 28 15:07:00 -0700 2005 0 nikki z 1 814636 Lala Rokh on Beacon Hill.... Thu Apr 28 16:06:43 -0700 2005 814629 0 Karl S. 1 814640 Yes, definitely as Karl S. said LaLa Rokh, Beacon Hill but actually I believe that Sabur (Teale Sq., very close to Davis Sq., Somerville) describes itself as Yugoslavian/Turkish and Persian but I could be wrong on the Persian inclusion. Sabur is excellent, however...(& very reasonably priced for such wonderful fare and atmosphere and they do very interesting sounding brunch on sat & sun...)... Thu Apr 28 17:01:59 -0700 2005 814629 0 Heathen & Spells 2 814691 I believe the owner is Bosnian... Fri Apr 29 12:20:46 -0700 2005 814640 0 fine wino 3 814699 Yes, this is true but he describes the cuisine as pan- Yugoslavian, Turkish and, I believe, Persian as well. The wonderful stewed apricot dessert w/ marscopone cheese is very mid-eastern seeming, other mixings as well of fruit and meat, and exotic spices. I know that Yugoslavian food itself is a wonderful melange of tastes, spices, ethnic identities/cultures... Fri Apr 29 14:00:41 -0700 2005 814691 0 Heathen & Spells 1 814644 Molana on Spring St. in Watertown Sq. Thu Apr 28 17:59:21 -0700 2005 814629 0 Aromatherapy 1 814650 So are you Persian or do you just love the food? Funny thing...there are several "crypto-Persian" places in town--they look like Italian but the chefs are Persian and there's hidden (or not) Farsi dishes on the menu...: Sorento's in the Fenway area -mostly pizza but the chicken Sorento is cooked Persian style with tarragon and the chef will whip up Farsi specials if you ask... Marcello's on Newbury St - half Italian menu, half Persian. They charge a lot for the tadik, which is not on the menu. (Sabur in Teal Square is not Persian, but Turkish) I love Moby Dick, a hole in the wall on Huntington Ave near Symphony Hall. Amazing khoreshes, incredibly tasty chelo kebab, and the best kashk-e-bademjun (eggplant walnut dip)! Lala Rokh is upscale and Persian friends complain that it's too American (ie, not enough rice) There is a new one on Beacon Hill called Mirage that I haven't tried yet. Also for Persian groceries (and gojeh sabez--green unripe plums that are only in season for the next few wks): Super Hero on Mt Auburn St in Cambridge and Walnut Market on Walnut St in Newton. Nush-e-jan! Thu Apr 28 19:25:04 -0700 2005 814629 0 drjooly 2 814651 I'm actually not persian, but I grew up in a town in NY with a large persian population. There's a really good, authnetic persian restuarant there and I was craving a taste of home. -nikki Thu Apr 28 19:39:30 -0700 2005 814650 0 nikki z 3 814655 Great Neck? Julie Thu Apr 28 20:22:59 -0700 2005 814651 0 drjooly 4 814657 haha, yup. I guess there's really only one town that fits that description. mmm...colbeh. nikki Thu Apr 28 20:49:55 -0700 2005 814655 0 nikki z 1 814666 Molana's a neat little Persian place by Watertown square. My personal favourite for the rice and grilled meats is Pita Kabob, a little takeout in the Downtown Crossing area. Their rice is light, fluffy, but every grain is pleasantly articulated and realized. Endearing folks too. I've found the fesenjoon at Moby Dick quite lovely and balanced in terms of the pomegranate and spices. But it's been a long while since I've been there. Fri Apr 29 00:37:09 -0700 2005 814629 0 Limster 1 814724 Don't forget Tabrizi Bakery on Mt. Auburn St. in Watertown Square. The owner is from Tehran, where his father also owned a bakery. His exquisite "tea" cookies are so fine, they are shipped to many stores in the NY area including Great Neck. The walnut macaroons, rice flour cookies with rosewater, and chickpea flour cookies are my personal favorites, but all the cookies and baklava are wonderful. There is also a case of cream puffs and other French-inspired desserts, which I have never tried, but they look pretty good. Tabrizi is about 2 blocks from Molana, so you could start there and finish with some authentic Persian desserts. Enjoy! Fri Apr 29 17:20:03 -0700 2005 814629 0 jonw 1 814754 I thought that I wasn't crazy- I looked back over my food/restaurant notes and from the Phantom Gourmet (Oct. 2003) which is where I learned about Saburs, they describe Saburs as Turkish/Yugoslavian and Persian cuisine. The most significant aspect is that yes, if one wants real neighborhood cuisine of Iranian people like was all about in Great Neck then Saburs is probably not what you want (& apparantly neither is LaLa Rokh according to what other chows have written) but to have that type of cuisine typified by certain spices and combining often exotic fruits w/ meats, and grains at a very reasonable price then Saburs would certainly fit the bill... Sat Apr 30 09:27:11 -0700 2005 814629 0 Heathen & Spells