Farhang
Foundation Offers Beverly Hills A Taste of
Persia Photography: Vafa Khatami
The carpet had been rolled out the day before as with any
high-profile event. Only this carpet was not red. It was Persian
and magnificent.
The fruit display had been arranged, similar to what one would find
in a picturesque Persian bazaar, while the smell of fresh baked
bread from the nearby tanoor, a quaint charcoal oven, filled
the air. Musicians
fiddled with their exotic instruments - tar, daf, setar, and santoor - as the ensemble of dancers -
costumed like the iconic women in Persian miniatures - took to
their positions in anticipation of the soon-to-arrive guests.
This was not a scene from One
Thousand and One Nights. It was not a snippet from one of
Scheherazade's tales. It
was the final touches leading to the one-night-only event called
Taste of Persia by Farhang
Foundation, which took place Thursday, September 2, in Beverly
Hills as part of the highly anticipated 9.02.10 Day celebration. The
evening, dedicated to honoring the world-class city of Beverly
Hills, served as the opening night of Taste of Beverly Hills food
festival, and featured the culinary delights of such names as
Lawry's, Crustacean, The Peninsula Hotel, and
world-renowned chefs, Wolfgang
Puck and the Drago
Brothers. There were also celebrity appearances by
Larry King, the
Kardashian-Jenner family,
the cast of 90210 television
show, as well as musical performances by Grammy nominee,
Natasha Bedingfield. But amid the
glamour and star power, Taste of Persia by Farhang
Foundation truly stood out peerless. This was due to the simple
fact that Farhang Foundation is not a restaurant, rather it is a
non-religious, non-political, and not-for-profit organization
dedicated to celebrating and promoting Iranian art, culture, and
heritage for the benefit of the community at large. As such,
Taste of Persia by Farhang
Foundation was not just an exploration of Persian cuisine. It
was an exploration into Persian culture by way of its cuisine. And
what better place or time to celebrate Iranian culture than at an
event honoring Beverly Hills, a city home to a large
Iranian-American population. Volunteers,
donning turquoise wraps by designer to the stars, Ina Soltani, offered visitors
uniquely designed Persian food, while explaining the ingredients in
such dishes as Aash e Anar
(pomegranate soup), Kookoo
Loghmeh (fresh herbs frittata), Beryooni (a specialty from Isfahan),
and many others, that were a result of the culinary and artistic
vision of Ardie Tavangarian who chairs the Food Festival committee
at Farhang.
Visitors dined while enjoying live, traditional Persian music
courtesy of the AVA Ensemble, along
with the graceful movements of Rosa Rojas and her fellow dancers,
all in a pavilion decorated with scenic images of Iran and carpeted
with a fabulously large Persian rug. Food was
not all that was being consumed. Featured wines included Darioush, Arya, and
Mithra,
all three owned and operated by Iranian-Americans. And thanks to
Mashti Malone's, visitors were
able to finish their meals with bite-sized servings of Persian ice
cream. But because no Persian meal is ever truly complete without a
hot cup of tea, a traditional Persian tea station along with
platters of Persian sweets and treats were on hand outside of the
pavilion for guests to enjoy on their way out. The
pavilion never saw a dull moment throughout the evening and was
consistently filled with the happy chatter of visitors, who
included Beverly Hills Mayor Jimmy Delshad,
members of the Kardashian-Jenner family, KCRW
radio show host Evan Kleiman, Wolfgang Puck, Celestino Drago and Giacomino Drago.
Media buzz was also generated as camera crews from various local TV
and print media, such as NBC, CBS and many others, stopped by to
shoot footage or take snapshots of Taste of Persia by Farhang
Foundation. Other restaurateurs at the event also commented on the
fine cuisine and presentation that the pavilion offered. The night
was a splendid achievement for Farhang Foundation as one of its
founding principles was successfully executed: to celebrate Iranian culture and introduce it
to the community at large. Taste of Persia by Farhang
Foundationwas made
possible by the efforts of the Farhang Foundation Food Festival
Committee (Ardie Tavangarianchair / creative & culinary
director;Farhad Mohit, co-chair;Bita Milanian, program director and Dana
Farahani, media relations), the support of many young volunteers
representing Farhang's Youth Council, as well as the generosity of
several local businesses including: Arya Group,
Inc. City National Bank David Orgell Damoka LA Ketab Corp. CBM Special Events KVMart Co. Golden Color Printing Berbere World Imports H.R.A. Training Decorator's Place Corp. Golden Pak Infusion
