03/20/2026
Growing up, it was always a treat when I'd come home from school and the kitchen would smell of saffron and cardamom, with my grandmother for whom this restaurant is named, stirring a golden pot of rice at the stove. It meant we'd be having 𝘴𝘩𝘰𝘭𝘦𝘻𝘢𝘳𝘥 later or for breakfast the next morning! Sholezard is frequently a dish made for special occasions, gatherings, or festivals, or, sometimes, for your grandchild on a random Thursday afternoon.
The first Nowruz we were open, I convinced Chef Matteo make 𝘴𝘩𝘰𝘭𝘦𝘻𝘢𝘳𝘥 just like she made it, so he'd understand the first dessert she ever taught me to make. Since then, he's taken his own culinary liberties with the treat, but I can still taste what inspired it. His version has turned this Persian rice pudding dish into a creme brulée inspired dessert, served with a pineapple-barberry compote and Italian sweet shortbread.
Sweets are an important part of Persian New Year, and necessary to bring sweetness into the new year, something we could all use more of these days.
-- Mariam
نوروزتان پیروز
