For 14 years, Iranian-born chef Shari Sarabi has welcomed the community to his Healdsburg restaurant, Baci, to celebrate Nowruz, the Persian New Year. The elaborate, multicourse dinners honor an ancient rite of spring, symbolizing the triumph of good over evil and joy over sorrow. It is one of the most sacred holidays on the Persian calendar.
This year, the celebrations carry added weight as war and political unrest once again grip Sarabi’s homeland.
“With the political climate we are under, this is important. The Iranian people are all suffering, and what they want is to live and be safe,” said Sarabi’s wife and business partner, Lisbeth Holmefjord.
Sarabi’s family, like many in the Iranian diaspora, fled after run-ins with the government. He was just 14 when they left the country.
Nowruz itself, however, is a celebration of renewal, not politics.
Observed for more than 3,000 years by millions in Iran, Afghanistan and Central Asia, the holiday centers on new beginnings. In the days before the spring equinox, families decorate their homes with flowers, grow trays of edible sprouts for the New Year’s table and prepare sweets, fruits and nuts to share with guests.
The holiday reaches its peak at the precise moment of the equinox, when day and night are equal.
A traditional haft sin table, arranged with seven symbolic items beginning with the Persian letter “s,” represents health, prosperity and abundance. Common items include apples (seeb), garlic (seer), vinegar (serkeh), sumac (somagh), hyacinth (sonbol), sprouts (sabzeh) and coins (sekeh).
This year, Baci will host five nights of Nowruz dinners, March 19-23, featuring dishes such as mirza ghasemi (eggplant mousse), torshi (assorted pickled vegetables), kebabs, aromatic khoresht stews and polo with tahdig, the signature crispy golden rice of Persian cuisine. Desserts include baklava with almonds, fried pastries and Persian ice cream flavored with rosewater, pistachios and saffron.
The prix-fixe dinner is $195, including tax and gratuity; children under 12 eat free. Seating runs from 5:50-9 p.m., and reservations are required for the prepaid dinner at 707-433-8111. Baci is located at 336 Healdsburg Ave., Healdsburg. bacicafeandwinebar.com
In Santa Rosa, Pascaline French Bistro and Patisserie (1021 Hahman Drive) will host a Nowruz pop-up dinner at 6 p.m. Friday, March 20. The menu includes ash reshteh (noodle and lentil soup), kuku sabzi (Persian herbed frittata with barberries), yatimcheh (eggplant stew), ghormeh sabzi (braised beef), fish with tamarind and saffron and an assortment of baklava, chickpea cookies and saffron rice pudding. The dinner is $95 per person, plus tax. Reservations are available at pascalinebistro.com/bistro-events.
On Saturday, March 28, Sebastopol restaurateur Sima Mohamadian will offer a Persian cooking class focused on Nowruz dishes. The Iranian-born chef also serves Persian dinners from 4-8 p.m. daily at her Mexican restaurant in Sebastopol. The class costs $172. Tickets are available at bit.ly/46UoLWF.