The cooks at Shiraz Persian Restaurant bypass excessive garlic and oil in favor of grease-free dishes that the New York Times lauds as “simple and subtle, healthful and delectable,” and “beautifully presented.” Made with ingredients such as lamb shank and Cornish hen, kebabs compose the menu’s core, although chefs also bake naan in-house and mix their own yogurt dressings and dips, including one with Persian shallots that the Times cited as “particularly outstanding.”

Feasts unfold in a spacious dining room with exposed brick and a feeless BYOB policy. After meals, customers can stop by the Shiraz Mediterranean market next door, which stocks eastern delicacies and hard-to-find Middle Eastern spices.