Pomegranate is a popular downtown spot for anyone looking for Persian food (particularly stews).
I actually didn't know that they had a sister restaurant next door that served up kebabs. I often order kebabs, so I'll have to check out Sheherzade some time.
We started with the dolmeh (2.95 for 4 pieces). They are so simple but probably one of my favourite appetizers. Vine leaves were stuffed with rice and herbs, deliciously citrusy.
A lot of people were ordering the kashk-e bademjaan (6.95).
A warm eggplant dip with garlic, walnuts, topped with delicious fried onions and served with a basket of fresh bread. It was good but not stand-out.
For my main, I ended up ordering one of their specials which was a boneless lamb stew with eggplant and beets (14.95). The stew was aromatic and the lamb was fall-apart tender. The beets added a lot of colour and sweetness to the stew. Pretty fantastic!
Dessert was awesome!
I ordered the ice cream (5.50) and it was huge! Enough for four people or two very large ice cream eaters. The ice cream looked a lot like cheesecake but it was less creamy and more icy. It was white in colour but packed full of the flavour of sweetened rose water. It was garnished with sliced pistachios and pomegranate seeds. A surprising and unique mix of colours, tastes, and textures.
If you are coming here as a group, they generally don't do groups larger than 8. Also, no separate bills. However, the service was still great and I would love to come back and try another one of their stews!