TL;DR: Stone's Corner has done it yet again. What makes for the perimeters of Stone's Corner is a bit on the nebulous side, but what is certain is that is extends beyond the main side road from Logan in which a good selection of eateries has popped up over the past half-decade or so. Still, we have little crevices and side streets that house a few hidden gems, and this is another one of them. Taste of Saffron, proving again why Persian cuisine deserves a bigger place on the map, is just one more of them.
Hidden down the alleyway in Stone's Corner, for the eagle-eyed wanderer, coming upon anything down here can well be striking the next lot of gold. A couple of times in a row now, this was really by chance - as you will see why soon - but what still remains is that it is worthwhile trying out, and gets a good recommendation. We are talking about the Taste of Saffron, which again proves the charms of Persian. This is what you take people to in order to impress them.
This was going to be one good weekend for wrestling fans, the two of us here. Back-to-back events on the WWE Network, which more often than not means that it starts of with an NXT Takeover playing on the Sunday morning. It is hard to get as good as this, and after all the usual errands were done swiftly during the first part of the day, it was high time to head home, put it on and watch it live. A couple of days in advance, I had arrange some delivery to come to the door around lunch time (via UberEats - what else?). For something a bit different, and since it had been a candidate for some time yet, a bit of Persian was thought to do the trick.
All that was left to do until then was to sit and wait for it arrive at the house. Pretty much the word go with the service of UberEats. A bigger order did possibly have them play it safe and say to deliver later - a good face-save there - and ultimately, it got here fairly efficiently, so that is all that matters.
Saffron has a decent menu, one that is fairly extensive and has a wide variety of options in each of the categories. Among these, there are starters which get put into cold and hot. The former one is a mixture of salads and dips to go with breads, and it applies to the latter in part in addition to having a couple of finger foods options.
Next up it is the mains section, and throughout it all it is a meat-lovers paradise. Through various cuts of lamb and chicken, a range of grills are slowly cooked with various marinades and spices soaking into the flesh. Each of them gets served with some tomato, and a big bed of saffron rice. Still with both lamb and chicken being the main meats, they add on some stews that are on a bed of either saffron rice, potatoes, or even their lonesome. A few token vegetable options are there, showcasing some of the Mediterranean influence via pasta and such. And to round any of them off, three kinds of bread are there and they are a good deal at a mere $2-a pop (plus each one is actually quite plentiful, just a word in advance).
Finishing all of this off is a small lot of beverages and desserts, just to give it that polished appearance. The sweets are characteristically Middle Eastern, with one being merely a combination of two of them, and the beverages are a range of Persian staples and the usual round of bottled stuff that is available. Plus, after all of this in-house are the chef's and weekly specials. That is truly the mark of place to bring people to.
With such a big selection, wanting again to get a feel for it all, but also not get too much expenditure either (only two patrons here, being big eaters aside). Through good faith and guidance, there is always a way. A starter, a couple of mains - one that in kebab form and one in stew form (plus without much attention being given, both lamb and chicken managed to be covered), then getting a side along with drinks and dessert to round it all off. This is fairly big - we are talking an NXT Takeover - and it was more than enough.
It may well be an American staple, yet the way the chicken wings sounded here it was too good to pass up (and I stand by having to get wings whenever we are talking American, by the by); I will also confess if called out that I just like them. These were a different style to normal, with the wings being barbecued beautifully after getting marinated in a combination of Persian mayonnaise, saffron and lemon juice. There were at least half a dozen of these suckers, and they were the perfect size for a party platter. The meat was tender, the flavour of the lemon went well in seasoning the chicken and it well suited the big drizzle of mayonnaise over the meat. This was a good way to start the meal.
Whatever way the ordering went, it certainly would have required getting at least one sort of kebab, the Persian specialty. This was a combination of lamb and chicken kebabs, more specifically the Jooejeh for the chicken and the Koobideh for the lamb. With the latter, the meat is seasoned with a variety of herbs and spices, while the former is marinated in the trusty combination of lemon and saffron, helped out by olive oil. Both of these kebabs were really tender, pulling apart so easily, and just every crevice of the meat was juicy and infused the flavours utilised in the respective kebabs. There was more than enough rice on the side, which was well fluffed and absorbed heaps of the juices. Maybe the rice was a little on the bland side, and you can't fault the kebabs.
On the stew side, we have a "Zereshk Polo". Maybe it is blasphemy, but I preferred this one by quite a bit. However they cooked this chicken, it did absolute wonders to it. Whether it was a quarter or half a chicken, the flesh fell off the bone practically from being prodded. The flesh was sweet, tender and juicy, plus leaving the skin on made all the difference in the world. This chicken had a generous serving of tomato sauce over it, which flavoured it well giving off a slightly sweet aroma, and the rice even had little bits of either pomegranate or tomato mixed through it. Thumbs are definitely up to this place thus far.
As I did say, there was plenty of bread to go around. Taking a shot in the dark, unsure about what the portion would be, two orders of the Lebanese bread was gotten on the side. It is okay, the bread is not much on its own when eating, but works just as well as a roti or naan when picking up bits of meat to eat. Something is definitely being done right when my house mate saves up the bread to have with lunches for much later (and it goes quickly).
As a treat as well, drinks usually aren't considered too much - some noted exceptions - but this was a time that I did get them. A love-it-or-hate-it kind of drink, doogh is the characteristic choice to wet the whistle. The best sort of comparison is the Indian lassi, with it being yoghurt-based. Doogh is salted, and a bit on the fizzy side, and that is certainly a strange combination. First time around trying it, my house mate decided he was not a fan but I thought to hold it out to accustom the taste (it has happened before, many times). I have come to the conclusion, it is not for me either. Just not a whole lot of flavour here, and leaving it at that - this is certainly an acquired taste.
To end it on a good note, also for some sweets it was difficult to get beyond the trusty baklava. After so many tries of this sweet, describing it pretty futile beyond saying it is delicious, only a slight bit sweet due to the honey, and the pistachio flavour gives it a good nutty taste on top of it all.
Ever since trying a great Persian restaurant elsewhere in town, this has been one cuisine that I have often touted to no end. Suffice to say, that one has yet to be matched but this is not about there - it is all about here. Like it was said, this is not quite up there with the best that there is offer but it still has put out an admirable effort. Portion sizes here are really generous, and even in the take-away containers they managed to get a good aesthetic that truly was candy to the eye.
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