This might sound like a movie pitch:
A young woman leaves Iran after a revolution, comes to America to start a new life, becomes a mother, who was always cooking and more than 35 years later—with no professional training and against all odds, opens an acclaimed restaurant in New York at age 59, becoming the driver of a trendy new cuisine in Manhattan.
For now, it’s not a movie. It’s the life of Nasim Alikhani, founder of Sofreh. Nasim joins Chef Rozanne Gold in the MouthMedia Network studio.
- How from the minute it opened , her restaurant has has been pretty much impossible to get into
How its popularity is as much a product of Nasim's particular brand of hospitality as of the delicious foodThe importance placed on entertaining guests in IranHow Nasim almost didn’t make it through to to the restaurant’s opening dayHer strong vision of every aspect of the restaurant and why it makes the guests feel transportedHow Nasim's deep spirituality has permeated her businessThe way a touching poem from her father has meant everythingThe importance off Nasim's acute sense of smellTypical Iranian food, always tea, eating a lotWhy Nasim didn’t want restaurant to look like a typical one Why an open kitchen, and bright, inviting atmosphere, smellsAn extension of home and partiesA lot of care and time in these dishesThe difference her solid prep team makesTiming. And rhythm, a prepaid serviceThe challenges of opening her first restaurant age of 59Always preparing for a restaurant in her mindBarberriesThe value of a beautifully well done rice as a satisfying mealThe risk of starting down the restaurant journey or carrying the burden of not following throughIranian vs. American women in food, and in generalThe legacy of tiny meatballsGiving everything you can