Persepolis

Such a simple, unassuming restaurant is an appropriate setting for uncomplicated, hearty and delicious food. Gaimah bada joon, a vegetable stew, has a rich, savory broth, and the Caspian (boneless chicken and chopped steak over rice) has a lively marinade. Fans of more Mediterranean-oriented Middle Eastern cooking should be prepared for authentically Persian variations: The “khumus” and tabouli, for example, are drier and prepared differently than familiar versions; the yogurt and cucumber is…yogurt and cucumber.