Rumi's Kitchen

Good Persian food, such as this, has flavors that aren’t merely clean but immaculate. Salt, lemon, yogurt, saffron, sumac, grill char: each flavor comes through as a clear, stark chime. You know when you visit someone’s house that is so scrubbed and shined that you know there isn’t an eddy of dust or grimy surface anywhere? That’s what this food tastes like.

But more than anything, I was impressed with how well the staff kept up during our visit as the 11-top next to us kept asking for more Coke and bread.

Persian food is always good, but at Rumi’s Kitchen, it’s a little bit better. Chef-owner Ali Mesghali takes Persian offerings in the Atlanta area beyond the buffet and into something that smacks of tradition. Look for well-made barg kebobs, mast khair, badenjoon and oven-fresh flatbread. After dinner, dip into some Persian tea.