99423 Thu Oct 16 20:48:50 -0700 2003 8 23 Ontario (including Toronto) 0 538791 When a friend's mother came to visit from Iran a while ago, she was a cooking machine dishing out eggplant dip, rice with a potato crust with extremely tasty meat and all sorts, not spicy, but hot comfort food. I was instantly hooked. Does anyone know of an Iranian restaurant or a place with similiar food? thanks... Thu Oct 16 20:48:50 -0700 2003 0 Terry 1 538792 Sorry I can't be any more specfic, but apparently there is a big Iranian population in Richmond Hill.....perhaps, you can check out the yellow pages for the region. Thu Oct 16 22:21:43 -0700 2003 538791 0 Goober 1 538795 I was in Iran earlier this year and I quite liked the food -- loads of Saffron! Richmond Hill would indeed be a good bet. But there is also a restaurant I visited in Kensington Market which is quite good. I have to apologize, because I don't remember the name nor the street, but if you wander through you'll find it quite easily. The owner is a young guy -- very friendly. The place has a bit of a 'hip' feel to it too. The food is good and -- dare I say -- better than most of the hotel/restaurant food I had in Iran. I've eaten at Iranian friends' homes and know that the food there is usually better than in Iranian restaurants. The fact is, that Iranians don't really go out to eat. Our Kensington restaurant, however, is loaded with variety and adventure. There is also a small Iranian-owned shop in Kensington (called Middle East store or something like that). They sell Iranian pistachios. Iranian pistachios are, in my opinion, the best in the world. A visit to the markets in Tehran and Shiraz would yield stalls offering dozens of varieties. Go for the lemon-cured ones which they have in Kensington. Fabulous. And they freeze very well. Let us know if you find somewhere to eat and post a quick review! Good luck. Fri Oct 17 09:38:32 -0700 2003 538791 0 Markaroni 2 538798 It's on Baldwin, just West of Spadina. I had a great dinner there, huge servings and charming service. Fri Oct 17 15:13:23 -0700 2003 538795 0 julesrules 1 538796 Whole bunch of great places that I know of North of Toronto (in order of South->North): 1) Zaffron Restaurant - Yonge/Steeles (about 0.5km South of Steeles, West side of Yonge). Great meat and rice, with a fantastic eggplant/yogurt dip. Try their flatbreads! Recommendation - Sultani platter. Don't go with a vegetarian (not much great selection). 2) "North" Restaurant - Steeles, West of Yonge. North side of Yonge. Never been there. 3) "Friends" restaurant. Yonge/Major Mackenzie. Never been there. Also, try the area of Warden/Lawrence. You will find a great variety of Iranian restaurants in the area. Fri Oct 17 11:56:13 -0700 2003 538791 0 Karim 2 538797 I've been to North (Shomal) - below is a link to my review. Elixir, at Bloor & Bathurst, offers a $15 prix fixe dinner. Their chicken with walnut-pomegranate sauce is delicious. However, they're not what you'd call hard-core Persian cuisine, as they offer things like snails, mussels and chocolate cake on the menu. I remember reading somewhere that the chef is trained in French cuisine. Zaffron is relatively pricy, and also not pure Persian (the menu appears half Persian, half Italian). I, too, am still in search of great "home style" Persian/Iranian food. Link: http://www.chowhound.com/topics/show/107210#580155 Fri Oct 17 12:11:41 -0700 2003 538796 0 Heather 3 538856 Kolbeh A Taste Of Persia  160 Baldwin in Kensington Market The owner/chef is a great guy and the food was delicious. Thu Oct 23 11:17:37 -0700 2003 538797 0 Hungry 2 539184 Try Darvish, on Yonge just south of Steeles. It is a very tiny place, but the food is fresh and delicious! It is a family owned place and the prices are extremely reasonable! Also a bonus, it is in the plaza where Pars bakery is, so you can pick up fresh bread, pastries, and of course rice, barberries, etc. If you are looking for something downtown Toronto, try Souvlaki House in Yonge just north of Wellesley. Their cuisine is Greek, but just ask for the persian food (it is owned and run by Iranians). Must do a taste around Toronto again soon! Sun Nov 09 16:22:27 -0800 2003 538796 0 Ann 2 539246 A couple of great Iranian take-out buffet just recently opened, and I've gotten good feedback from Iranian colleagues on them... both are around the Yonge / Finch area (on the east side). One is a couple of blocks south of Finch called "Taste of Iran", the other one is a couple of blocks north of Finch and called "Anoush". Thu Nov 20 22:46:27 -0800 2003 538796 0 garp