I finally got the chance to eat at Cafe Izmir for the first time Friday. I've been a frequesnt visitor to the Izmir Deli and Kizmet for a few years, and I'm glad I made the trip next door. The place is small and cozy, and pretty crowded on the weekends, so avoid it if you liek to spread out and can't handle somewhat tight quarters. They had a live acoustic guitarist playing by the patio area, and paintings by local artists on the walls. \r
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I was with 2 other people, neither of which had ever had Mediterranean or Persian food, so I got to order for everyone. We started with plates of hummus, ziziki, yogurt, olives, and russian chicken salad served with pita. Their chicken salad is to DIE for... creamy and tasty and goes perfectly well with the soft pita. We had the prix fixe dinner... we were brought a huge pltter with kabob, grilled chicken, lamb chops, and these fantastic pieces of grilled chicken and veggies rolled up in pita. All the meats were perfectly cooked, and had a nice charred flavor to them. This was all served with a really flavorful rice pilaf dish... perfectly cooked with a little saffron.\r
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My friend and I both had hot tea, served Russian style in theses beautiful glass goblets with our SINFULLY decadent chocolate cake, and i had the turkish coffee.\r
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They have a very nice wine list but we were feeling cheap and opted to have the sangria. It was somewhat weak, btu I haven't found a place other than my own kitchen that serves a stout sangria. They don't serve liquor, but the club next door sure does, along with a mean hookah!
Pros: Ambiance, family ran, authentic Persian food
Cons: very small, can get a LONG wait, reservations are needed
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