Put a Halt to your Middle Eastern Food Cravings

May 23, 2010 Collaj
Filed under Global Spotlight

By Annie Suh

Raffi’s Place is an Iranian-Armenian gourmet restaurant located in Glendale that is spot on when it comes to ambiance and Middle Eastern cuisine. Their outdoor/indoor seating area brings back memories of the Twin Palms restaurant in Pasadena (now closed) that catered to couples, friends and families celebrating a special occasion.

If you haven’t been here already, Raffi’s Place is somewhat easy to overlook since it’s on the east side of Broadway, a couple blocks past the bevy of eateries and shopping centers on Brand. Main entrees are between $12 to $20 but portions are generous.

Their sweet and tangy Albaloo Polo (sour cherry rice) and their succulent Barg Kabob (filet mignon, skewered and charbroiled with grilled tomato and bell pepper) is a must-try and worth every bite. Dishes have just the right amount of flavoring without being too greasy or salty.

Albaloo Polo is made using sour cherries—a popular wild fruit in Iran. The sour cherries are mostly used for cooking because of its eye-wincing tartness. If you want to try your hand at cooking the rice, visit My Persian Kitchen for a homemade recipe.

And if you want something other than water, soda or tea to wash down your food, try their yogurt soda that will give your mouth a startling kick—startling because it looks sweet, but it isn’t. Think plain yogurt and sparkling water duo with a salty aftertaste.

For those of you not familiar with the area surrounding Raffi’s, Glendale is a suburb of Los Angeles with a large Armenian population (54,854, based on the last U.S. Census in 2000), many who own businesses in the area including cafes, restaurants and shops. Glendale is a great place to find an abundance of tasty Middle Eastern restaurants, and some worthy mentionables include Shamshiri and Carousel.

Raffi’s Place offers valet parking, but street meter parking is also available. One thing they are lacking is a website, but they’ve confirmed that it is coming soon. Leaving all technicalities aside, the restaurant is definitely worth a visit.