Way up yonder on Fifth Avenue, just a shop or two away from the busy corner of E Street, tucked away so that you could easily walk right by, is a little gem of a restaurant called Sadaf Royal Persian Cuisine. It has been open for almost three months now and I’m so glad I happened to notice it one night. I was feeling especially adventurous — not in the mood for the usual pasta or sushi I seem to favor — so the fact that I knew little about Persian cuisine enticed me all the more.
    The decor is simple and tasteful which is completely congruent with the service and food. Owner and executive chef Essie Aharpour does not overdo anything. From the slight sprinkling of seasonings to the very simply garnished plates to the just-appropriate amount of service he does everything to the just-right degree.

The general manager is Cameron Mahub, who continually circulates through the dining room and acts as host, server, busboy and whatever else it takes to keep the place running smoothly. He will tempt you to eat like there's no tomorrow if you let him (as, of course, I did). I selected only my entrée and asked him to introduce me to some of their specialties as my first courses. Boy did he ever!     My evening started with the "Sadaf Platter" ($8.95), which is a sampling of two types of "borani" (either eggplant or spinach) and "dolmeh." The main ingredient in the borani is blended with a combination of yogurt, onions, garlic and herbs. It’s wonderful scooped up on a delicious piece of the house-baked lavash served to diners after they are seated. Lavash is a very soft, unleavened bread. I ate about half my basket of lavash with only the butter before I got to the borani.

Zari Aharpour and Cameron Mahjub enjoy a meal at Sadaf Royal Persian Cuisine.

Have some restraint and wait for the borani; it’s doubly good and a heck of a lot better for you than the butter. The dolmeh is grape leaves stuffed with a filling of ground beef, rice and split peas seasoned with tarragon. Riding shotgun was a great yogurt, chopped cucumber and mint sauce called "Mausto Moosier," which is a cooling accompaniment.
    I chose the "Boneless Lamb Kebab" ($12.95) as my main course. It came on a simple white oval platter over a bed of saffron-injected basmati rice with a charbroiled tomato as garnish. I was struck by how "clean" it looked. The lamb was plump and moist looking, but not wet; there were no drippings soaked into the rice. The rice was perfectly cooked — each grain holding up beautifully on its own, not clumpy or soggy, yet moist. The baby spring lamb was grilled to its succulent peak and graced with an ever-so-mild marinade that is slightly sweet. I spotted something on the vegetarian section of the menu which I just had to try, "Fesenjan Sweet and Sour" ($8.95). It’s a fabulous sauce made of pomegranate and ground walnuts served over rice. I highly recommend it, especially as a side dish.
    Now I know enough about Persian cuisine to know that I like it — there are some flavor combinations I have since found myself craving. I also know that on my next visit to Sadaf I am going to try the "Abalu Polo" ($8.95), which is a Cornish hen baked in a sour black cherry sauce and served over basmati rice. Doesn’t your mouth tingle just thinking about it? Mine does.

— Terryl Gavre

    At first glance there is little about Terra that sets it apart from the dozens of restaurants that have opened up in the last year. The interior remodel of the space formerly known as Canes is lovely but not particularly distinctive. Although a vast improvement from the lost-in-the-'80s feel of Canes, the room is a bit controlled and sterile. Ever-so-soft "new age" jazz plays from overhead speakers discreetly mounted in acoustic ceiling tiles. The earthy-muted fabric used in the booths is picked up again in the window treatments leaving that "designer was here" mark. Terra precariously tiptoes on the edge of feeling like a corporate restaurant — not that there's anything wrong with that.

But if you stick around long enough to read through a menu, you will begin to notice Terra is anything but a corporate restaurant. This two-month-old undertaking is the brainchild of father and son duo Mike and Jeff Rossman. They have smartly teamed up with San Diego veteran chef extraordinaire Neil Stuart (Hell's Kitchen and Pacifica Grill). Stuart has put together a most creative and fun-to-read menu. From the "Appetite Teasers" to the "Smoke-Free Chocolate Cigar...warning: known to be addictive" menu items, it’s witty, wacky and very Stuart-esque.     You really can’t go wrong with any of the "Appetite Teasers." I especially fell for the "Grilled Green Tomatoes with Horseradish Spiked Crab" ($6.75). Lined with grill marks, then topped with a dollop of the crab mixture and finished under the broiler, this was a great flavor/texture and sweet/spicy combination. I insist you try the "Mushroom Salad" ($6.50). It’s a combination of some of your fancier and more expensive mushrooms, marinated and mellowed, then laid upon a featherbed of fresh greens. The honey-roasted garlic dressing adds a perfect hint of sweetness. The "Grilled Shrimp and Potato Salad" ($7.75) was another big hit with me. Jumbo grilled shrimp (with smoky grill lines) gather around a bed of fresh greens and a combination of perfectly cooked blue and yellow potatoes. The crumbled blue cheese and citrus-spiked dressing finish it beautifully. The salads are good-sized and would make a fine entrée along with a first course...especially if you do dessert.

Witty, wacky and very Stuart-esque... Chef Neil Stuart shows off Terra's fun menu items.

    Eleven "Featured Entrées" are described with only two or three words — still, I was tempted by each. The "Sea Bass with Macadamia and Mango" ($14.95) is a great value. A generous portion of fresh sea bass is crusted in Mediterranean spices and perched on a serving of mashed potatoes sweetened up with just a smidgen of pureed carrots and spiced with curry. The macadamia and mango sauce topped it off along with Chino's sweet peas and miniature tomatoes — it was so good we forgave the cook for leaving it on the fire a minute too long. I also really liked the "Turkey Osso Buco" ($12.50) and the "Beef Tenderloin with Smoked Onions and Potato Hash" ($17.25).
    All the desserts are house-made and the aforementioned "Chocolate Cigar" ($3.25) is truly worth ordering just to see the inventive presentation. The Rossmans smartly recruited the help of the people at The Wine Bank and put together a really right-on little wine list. From the Bonny Doon Gewürztraminer at $20 a bottle to a local Thornton Viognier at $33, these easy-to-drink and easy-on-the-pocketbook wines are as much fun as the food.

— Terryl Gavre