Caspian Bistro

Caspian Bistro has a really well-done, semi-swanky interior and is, to my knowledge, the only Iranian/Persian cafe in the Twin Cities.

I had a falafel sandwich ($6.95 without tax). They served it wrapped in what appeared to be a flour tortilla; do Persians not like pita? I did not like the tortilla too much. Also, the tahini sauce they use apparently has dairy in it, so they left that off for me, though it compromised the dish's overall taste. Who makes tahini with dairy? It's just sesame usually.

The falafel pieces themselves were unusual: at Caspian, they make them soft and fluffy. They tasted pretty good though they could have used more herbs.

This was decent falafel, but without the tahini, the final whole definitely felt lacking. My waitress thoughtfully brought out some olive oil as she figured the falafel might be dry; the olive oil helped the dish though not by much.

The dish also came with a light salad of lettuce and an olive covered in Italian dressing.

For dessert I had Iranian tea ($1.95) that came in a glass cup and also got a free refill. This was excellent tea: black, plain and light. Brewed to perfection with no bitterness.

I also had dates stuffed with walnuts ($1.95) which proved to be a wonderful, light, delectable dessert. Who would have guessed that dates and walnuts would go so well together? The dessert also went perfectly with the tea.

Caspian has great ambience and friendly, attentive service. While they could stand to improve their vegan offerings and find a non-dairy tahini, the place stands out from most Middle Eastern joints and therefore merits attention, especially in Stadium Village.