Flame Persian Cuisine

Not be confused with Flame International around the corner on Santa Monica Blvd., this more upscale spot is a great place for date night or dinner with the parents. And we say upscale, we don’t mean the price point, which is comparable to other nearby spots. We mean it mostly with the dining room which comes complete with light-up art tableaus on the wall, white linen table cloths, and a giant clay oven in the corner. As for the food, we recommend the chicken soltani, which gets you both a koobideh kabob and barg (thick strips of boneless chicken) for about $25. That might seem pricey, but it easily feeds two people. It comes with a heaping mountain of basmati rice, but we usually switch it out for lubia polo instead. This green bean, potato, carrot, and tomato sauce filled-rice dish adds just the right amount of tangy sweetness to the meat on top.