I found Orchard Market and Café about a dozen years ago when looking for a place to have my rehearsal dinner. I wasn’t much of an ethnic food lover at the time, but I really liked the lunch we had there and ultimately we decided to have our rehearsal dinner here. Since then I’ve been back as often as possible because the food is just so good and nothing like anything else I’ve ever had. The restaurant is Persian, but the chef (and owner, I believe) trained in France so the food is prepared with amazing flair and creativity. The chicken fesenjune (with a pureed walnut pomegranate sauce) is to die for, and even though you can now get hummus at your local grocery store, it’s way better at the Orchard Market. Whenever I go, I want to try everything on the menu! The prices used to be lower, but they are still very reasonable. The restaurant is located in a strip mall behind a strip mall off of Joppa Road, so you have to go looking for it. They do not serve alcohol, but you can bring your own bottle of wine from home to drink.
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