Shiraz Kitchen & Wine Bar

New York Persian Restaurant Taste of Persia Will Close at the End of January | Eater NY

"I’ve long considered this counter-service Persian spot—Taste of Persia, which grew out of a cult following at the Union Square holiday market and later set up shop inside a pizzeria at 12 W. 18th Street—to be one of the city’s most beloved Persian restaurants; it will serve its last bowl of ash reshteh on January 31. Owner and chef Saeed Pourkay confirmed the closure after new owners took over the pizzeria, ending his lease, and although he hopes to find a new location he offered few details. Pourkay, who ran a print shop across from Pizza Paradise for two decades, first put the ash reshteh on the map at the 2012 holiday market and opened the counter-service spot in March 2013; it quickly earned a reputation as one of the city’s best Middle Eastern spots. Beyond the signature ash reshteh, I’ve found the menu notable for gheimeh bademjan (a beef stew made with yellow split lentils and eggplant) and ghormeh sabzi (a mix of dark greens, kidney beans, and pieces of beef). The place has also been an important community fixture—after a 2017 fire in the pizzeria it briefly shuttered and loyal fans raised thousands through a GoFundMe campaign to help it reopen—and longtime patrons praise it for serving the Iranian‑American community and bringing people together." - Tanay Warerkar