As many Californians know, Los Angeles is often referred to these days as "Tehrangeles", so great is the population of Persians there. So, it's no surprise that there are dozens of Persian restaurants and Chelo Kabab-is to choose from.
Sadly, the same is not particularly true of the Bay Area; good Persian joints are few and far between. Alborz Restaurant is a particular favorite in our family (they even catered part of our wedding feast), but driving to the city each time we crave Chelo Kabab is sub-optimal.
The other night, we happened upon Papa's Restaurant, about which we'd heard quite a lot, and decided to check it out.
Papa's is set along a stretch of University Avenue just west of Shattuck. It's a simple little place, with some Persian artwork on the walls, but otherwise rather sparse decor. There are perhaps 15 tables, and one extremely efficient woman serving all of them.
Despite the fact that most Persian restaurants serve ridiculously large portions, we decided to order a few appetizers since (a) we were starving and (b) it was my in-laws' first visit to a Persian restaurant.