Sofreh

About Sofreh

Nasim Alikhani immigrated from Iran, spent decades doing other things, and opened Sofreh on St Marks Avenue in 2018 in her late fifties — it drew a James Beard nomination almost immediately and is largely responsible for the run of serious Persian restaurants that followed across the city. The room is whitewashed with wood-beam ceilings and holds a few dozen people. The tahdig is the crisp saffron rice crust everyone comes for; the braised lamb shank is the dish the kitchen is known for; the mast-o-khiar arrives as a strained yogurt and Persian shallot dip with chives. The menu shifts with the season and Alikhani is often in the room. It is dinner only, Tuesday through Sunday, and worth planning around.