Why go: To experience the “other” Iran—the one that trades on gracious hospitality and intricately layered, exotically spiced Persian food.
What to get: Kashk-o-bademjan, puréed eggplant with cumin and whipped yogurt; marinated kebabs of lamb and Cornish hen; fall-off-the-bone lamb shanks with baghali rice enlivened with dill weed and lima beans; condiments including shallot-studded yogurt and a green herb-and-chili sauce similar to what you find at Peruvian chicken places (the restaurant has several South American cooks who make it); crisp and light baklava.
Best for: Couples and families in search of a low-key dining experience with Persian folk music in the background. It’s also ideal for takeout to feed a crowd.
Insider tip: Get the baklava to go—it’s great with Nielsen’s Frozen Custard, a block and a half away at 144 Church Street.
Open daily for lunch and dinner.
See all Cheap Eats 2008 restaurants
Ann Limpert joined Washingtonian in late 2003. She was previously an editorial assistant at Entertainment Weekly and a cook in New York restaurant kitchens, and she is a graduate of the Institute of Culinary Education. She lives in Petworth.
