Sofreh

"Arrange a dinner at Sofreh to share some of the city’s best Persian food with friends. There are both indoor and outdoor areas where your people can eat lamb shank and saffron rice from a prix-fixe menu that starts at $125 per person." - neha talreja, bryan kim, hannah albertine, will hartman

"Perfect For: Date Night, Dinner With Parents What It Is: A Persian Restaurant In Prospect Heights If we made a Hit List for every neighborhood, Sofreh would probably make the one for Prospect Heights. It’s a new Persian place, and when we stopped by the other night, it was pretty busy. We waited about 10 minutes for a table - then we ate some roasted eggplant, little meatballs with sour cherries, and a big lamb shank. And while everything showed promise, it all could have used a little more flavor. There was no one thing that made us want to rush back, but we’ll check back in once they’ve been open a little longer. The Verdict: A solid new option in the neighborhood, but not something you need to travel for at the moment." - hannah albertine, bryan kim, katherine lewin, hillary reinsberg, chris stang, matt tervooren

"Sofreh is a Persian restaurant a few blocks south of the Barclays Center that’s perfect for when you need something on the nicer side that isn’t unnecessarily fancy. It’s an attractive space with a black-and-white color scheme and sleek wooden furniture, and it’s exactly the kind of place where you’d eat with a set of parents who consider themselves cool. The food is reliably delicious - especially the big tender lamb shank and the various dips that come with housemade bread. Just be sure to book a table in advance (this place gets busy)." - hannah albertine, bryan kim, matt tervooren

"This Prospect Heights restaurant does Persian food with panache, turning out beautiful plates of smoky roasted eggplant, black sea bass in tamarind stew, and big platters of saffron rice that go with everything. The breezy, white-brick dining room is chic but comfortable, and their chef can usually be seen chatting with customers like they’re guests in her own home. We typically reserve Sofreh for special date nights, or a catch-up meal with friends visiting from out of town—just keep in mind it’s a popular spot, so make a reservation in advance. They also have a daytime bakery, Sofreh Cafe, one block away. " - neha talreja

"Sofreh feels chic and comfortable simultaneously (an ideal balance in all facets of life), and it’s one of the best Persian restaurants in the city. Come here for smoky roasted eggplant with flesh that falls apart in the middle, a hulking lamb shank in a dill and dried lime broth, and a side of saffron rice that goes with everything. We typically reserve Sofreh for special date nights or a catch-up meal with a friend visiting from out of town, but you could happily have a solo dinner at the bar, too. " - bryan kim, hannah albertine, nikko duren, willa moore