The Persian Grille in Lafayette Hill, PA

Over 20 years.  That's how long it has been since I have wanted to try The Persian Grille just outside the northwest county line separating Philadelphia and Montgomery counties.  I wish I could say it was worth the wait.

Years and years ago I lived in the Germantown and then West Mount Airy sections of Philadelphia.  I also worked in nearby Chestnut Hill for awhile.  During these times, I would often pass this restaurant, which seemed extremely exotic and mysterious in my limited world experience and youth.  I finally stopped there this past weekend as I was heading to a concert in Glenside, PA; this restaurant is only about 7 - 8 miles from the theater.

The dining experience got off to a great start.  The restaurant had quite a few patrons at 6pm and I could tell from the way many interacted with the waitstaff that the patrons were regulars.  That, combined with the intriguing Iranian/Persian art, made for a comfortable and interesting atmosphere.  The food also got off to a good start.

Two of the three appetizers we had were very tasty.  We started with Halim Bademjoon ($6.95), a

special seasoned open flame charcoal grilled eggplant made with shredded chicken, sauteed onions, mint and walnuts.

This was very good.  Next, the waiter brought us complimentary dishes, costing about $9.00 on the menu if we had to pay for them.  These were very reminiscent of starters that accompany papadam at an Indian restaurant.  The tomato, onion, cucumber mixture (Salad-Shirazi) was very good.  The yogurt and cucumber dish tasted sour.

Even though I tried it, I can't remember what my partner ate for an entree.  Chicken-something that apparently did not "wow" me. I had Shereen Polo ($19.95), which is described on the menu as

basmati rice with saffron, slivered almonds, orange peels, slivered carrots and pistachio nuts. We add our special sauce and a generous portion of oven roasted chicken topped with a mild orange sauce. This dish is served at persian wedding (sic).

Sounds great, right?  I wish I could say it was.  It wasn't bad, mind you.  It was just that the orange taste was overwhelming and the chicken was dry.  The portion was huge and, because there was not a great diversity of taste, I wound up with the dreaded "same-taste syndrome."  (Remind me to copyright that phrase.)  I left a lot on my plate. 

We ended the meal with some baklava and I had some tea that came with rock candy on a stick - dunk to add the sweetness! 

Too bad the enjoyable and tasty beginning and end of the meal wasn't accompanied by a strong middle.  Perhaps I unfairly expected more diverse flavor.  Maybe I jinxed myself after the first eggplant appetizer and all of the interesting eye-candy (in the form of decoration) when I said, "I'm definitely coming back here."  All I know that is that I'm glad I tried it after 20+ years of thinking I would get to it.  I'm willing, however, to wait that amount of time again before I re-visit, even if the place did have a large line of eager customers when I left.