Patty's Foodie Frenzy: Rumi's Kitchen

Rumi’s Kitchen has been on our short list for quite some time since I have seen and heard rave reviews. Creative Persian cuisine had us intrigued. I have two colleagues who are Persian and according to both of them, Rumi’s Kitchen is the best of its kind in the city. Judging by the crowd when we walked in at noon, it is quite the popular lunch spot. Although we didn’t have reservations, they were very accommodating and sat us immediately at the full-service bar. It is a beautiful, contemporary space and even has an outdoor patio. The menu offers plenty of variety, but doesn’t have too many options that could make it overwhelming. Each dish is very descriptive so that you aren’t completely surprised when your plate arrives. We started with Grilled Shrimp and Mirza Ghasemi, a smoked eggplant, tomato and garlic. We loved the shrimp, but the Mirza Ghasemi is not something I would order again. We agreed that it was a little too slimy for our taste. If you are gluten-free like Audra, it is particularly challenging to eat because you definitely need the wonderful bread to assist with the shoveling into mouth process. The grilled shrimp was perfectly seasoned with garlic, black pepper, saffron and a creamy feta sauce.

For our feast, as it is called on the menu, Audra chose the Persian Vegetable Stew and I decided on the Chilean Sea Bass. Audra loved the stew with tomato, butternut squash, potato, Persian spices and saffron basmati rice ($12). My pick was the Chilean Sea Bass with saffron fillet, fava beans and dill basmati rice ($18). I felt pressure to order it for lunch since the dinner price goes up to $39. Yikes! Although the sea bass was tasty, I will opt for a kabob on my next trip to Rumi’s.

Since I was the driver, Audra was able to enjoy a cocktail. She tried the Spice Mist, with Square One organic basil vodka, citrus and jalapeno syrup. She took one sip and said it was amazing. With that kind of reaction, I had to try one sip out of curiosity. Although it sounds a little funky, it was created to perfection. Rumi’s is definitely a great place to try.

Until we eat again!