This Persian restaurant from the Farid family (former owners of M. Shahrzad Fine Persian Cuisine in Rancho Cordova), which opened in June 2020, has been winning over midtown epicures with its take on one of the world’s oldest barbecue traditions: the fire-roasted kebab. The koobideh (ground sirloin robustly seasoned with onion, turmeric, salt and pepper) is like the best hamburger you’ve ever had, but cooked on a skewer, and the chicken kebab stratospherically elevates nugget-size chicken breast with an overnight marinade of olive oil, lemon, salt, pepper and saffron. Meanwhile, long-simmering stews like ghormeh sabzi—sirloin with beans, like no chili you have ever tasted on account of its fragrant dried lime and fenugreek notes—provide hearty, soul-warming comfort. Don’t forget a cocktail pairing like the Old Fashioned-inspired Baba Jafar, made with Four Roses bourbon infused with smoked Persian tea leaves, plus a dash of walnut bitters. It’s a spin on the classic Old Fashioned that’s perfect for raising a glass before a meal with your dining crew, helping Maydoon live up to its name, meaning “gathering place” in Farsi.