San Francisco Chronicle - (Sunday)
Sit down for modern Persian food in a relaxed setting
Though Middle Eastern food is one of Sacramento’s less commonly discussed strengths, Midtown lacked a great Iranian option until Maydoon opened last year. Billed as a modern Persian restaurant, first-time restaurant owners Idean and Jen Farid’s Maydoon features a striking white dining room inspired by classic Persian design, with recessed arches, patterned tiles and gold chandeliers. Despite the elegant decor, the vibe is relaxed and the food comes out fast, making it a great lunch pick. Ordering the Maydoon bowl might seem basic, but don’t fight it: The bowl has a base of saffron-scented rice, then gets heaped with diced cucumbers and tomatoes, crunchy pickled onions, a zesty cilantro sauce and choice of protein. If you eat beef, don’t pass on the koobideh, ground sirloin kebabs flavored with turmeric and kissed by the flame grill. That said, vegetarians will also eat well here. The bowl can come with falafel instead, and the kashkeh bodemjan, a grilled eggplant mash paired with yogurt and pita, is creamy, smoky and lovely. After lunch, walk south toward R Street and soak up Sacramento’s arts scene. The strip from 11th to 14th streets hosts 10 murals with varied contemporary aesthetics erected during Sacramento’s annual Wide Open Walls mural festivals (a map is at wideopenwalls.com). Pop into the fun boutiques at WAL Public Market, the colorful retail ground floor of an artists’ housing development, including Old Gold for vintage clothes, the Den for vintage housewares, and Kicksville Vinyl & Vintage for records.