Flame

Show up hungry for fresh-out-of-the-tanoor flatbreads, kabob platters and lamb tahchin (crispy saffron rice cake) at this elegant Persian restaurant, which occasionally livens up the dining room scene on weekends with belly dancers. The lights inside this restaurant in the middle of Tehran Square in Westwood may be too bright and not match the ambiance, however, the real focus here is on the food. Order from a variety of traditional Persian dishes—we suggest getting the crispy rice, tahdig, which literally means "bottom of the pan," with one of the stews on top. Other delicious options include thick yogurt dips (must-o-moosir with shallots or must-o-khiar with cucumbers) or their house-made hummus to use as a dip for thick slices of the fresh bread. Vegetarians could always ask for a vegetarian stew option (they usually have one daily)—we recommend ordering the ghahmeh (yellow lentil stew) to top the tahdig as an appetizer. For the health conscious, order the delicious white fish (grilled or fried), plus you could swap out the rice portion that comes with every entree for the house salad, a green salad with grapes and pineapple with a dill yogurt dressing that pairs surprisingly well.