What's Persian & Italian?

Right, its a riddle. What is Persian & Italian, quiet & unassuming, and highly addictive. You might think Persian Guy (Hi, Jim :) While that might be true, in this case I am talking about ...


Giovanni's
18484 Preston Road
Dallas, TX 75252
Phone: 972-596-8610



Why Persian and Italian? The Italian family who owned Giovanni's sold to a Persian family, a smart Persian family who thought it better to keep their existing patron-base while adding on a sizeable Persian population in far North Dallas and Plano. Half of the menu is classic northern Italian, the other half is Persian staples.

Buried deep in a quiet strip mall on Preston near 190, it shines as the best Persian in Dallas (so far). The family of the Persian I dated in Houston owned, at that time, one of the only Persian restaurants. I became quite the consumer of their fare since we ate there almost everyday. Bademjan, the richly complex eggplant stew, served with Chelo, the highly-addictive saffron-buttered rice, was and is my favorite dish from Iran. So, I tried it at Giovanni's. I hope noone else heard me make those G-d-I-Love-This squeals, its embarassing when I do that out loud. What sets Giovanni's apart is the use of whole dried limes, a less tomatoy base and a cinnamon that is both sweet and savory.

Service is top-notch; items come quickly and quietly, items completely demolished (which will be everything) are quietly and quickly removed. They know their Persian dishes, every ingredient, and they can speak to the special techniques they use to build the layers of complexity.

A tiny bit more expensive ($10-20 per entree) than other Persian eateries but a more sophisticated environment and solid quality.

You know its good when hear more Farsi than English; you will hear more Farsi here.

Special thanks to Lauren, who lived in Iran, for introducing us to this unique and delicious place.

Giovanni's
Dallas