It was genuinely one of the best and most interesting meals I've had in Chicago in years. Yes – Albany Park is a trek (for us anyway, from River North). But this $90pp tasting menu would easily be $140pp in the West Loop, and nobody else is doing Persian food like this in Chicago (or elsewhere in the US, as far as we can tell). The menu was creative and beautifully plated, expertly paced, and the service and ambiance were outstanding.
They focused on the little details – Persian music at the right volume, new napkins waiting when you returned from the bathroom, etc. Definitely gunning for a star here.
We opted not to do the wine pairing ($50pp) because we wanted a bottle off the wine list. The list itself is really unique – they even have "Iranian" wines, made in Europe with grapes exported from Iran. Also recommend hitting Bokeh before for a cocktail, as it's a three minute walk from the restaurant. Both are a two minute walk from the Kedzie Brown Line.
by longlivetheking100