[CLOSED] Cafe Nadery

IRAN 🇮🇷

[UPDATE: CLOSED]

The city is not awash in Persian restaurants by any means, so the opening of Cafe Nadery last year was very welcome amongst eaters and especially by the Persian community, who now use it as their event hub. The place was absolutely packed this summer for Iran's World Cup games, and their event schedule always seems full.

My first meal here was in spring and alone in the long space with a long bar in the back. The place has a calm minimalist feeling and the music follows that pattern, at least in the afternoon. Small and large wooden tables, some with crazy tabletops fill the space and any size group could be well accommodated here.

Whenever possible, I grab a salty yogurt drink like the one above to go with my meals. If you are in the mood for a very different type of salad, grab the Iranian garden salad ($10, below). Selected herbs and leaves are arranged in piles, accompanied by feta cheese dribbled with a little oil, a small tin of walnuts, and a few slices of radish. Mix and combine any way you like.

Another appetizer is the torshi ($2.5, below), sold as a side and served with the flatbread called sangak. The dip is a soupy mix of pickled vegetables that is not for the faint of heart. The sourness is quite extreme, and I had to temper it with bites of the other items we had.

The ghormeh sabzi ($14, below) is a beef stew that has a distinct lemony flavor and beans. It appears to be a small portion when presented, but is actually quite filling. The bowl is surrounded by a nice amount of saffron rice, one of many types of rice that is used in Persian cooking. The north of Iran is a rice-growing region, and rices most desired have strong aromas. It is unclear where this rice comes from.

Lubia polo ($13, below) is a simple dish that usually pleases its eater. Consisting of rice cooked in a tomato sauce and cinnamon, the main components are beef and string beans, possibly not in that order. It is also served with a side of torshi if you desire that sour kick.

On both of my visits here to eat, they were out of fesenjan, my favorite Persian dish of pomegranate, walnut, and chicken. I look forward to finding it here one day.

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