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
nikki z
Apr 28, 2005 03:07PM
Story
The Big Oreo Shocker
Story
The Top Grocery-Store Etiquette Gaffes
Recipe
Argentine Chimichurri Sauce
Story
The Basics: How to Make Hummus
Story
Does My Waiter Hate Me?
Recipe
Chorizo and Potato Breakfast Tacos
View »
Lala Rokh on Beacon Hill....
Permalink | Reply
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...)...
Permalink | Reply
I believe the owner is Bosnian...
Permalink | Reply
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...
Permalink | Reply
Molana on Spring St. in Watertown Sq.
Permalink | Reply
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!
Permalink | Reply
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
Permalink | Reply
Great Neck?
Julie
Permalink | Reply
haha, yup. I guess there's really only one town that fits that description. mmm...colbeh.
nikki
Permalink | Reply
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.
Permalink | Reply
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!
Permalink | Reply
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...
Permalink | Reply