Zamarod
Great Falls / Afghan / $$
Dor Niaz smiles as he takes your order. He grins when he delivers the food, and when he produces the check, he shows delight to have served you. The guy is a pleasure to be around. And you will see a lot of him when you dine at Zamarod.
The ever-present owner pours his heart into every detail of the meal, from uncorking international wines to serving housemade ice creams that will leave you craving your next visit as soon as you’ve dispatched them. Simply put, Niaz is at the restaurant far more than he’s not. It is right to expect that comfort food comes along with the cozy-but-elegant ambience.
Plates are uniformly visual gems on par with the restaurant’s name, which means “emerald.” But the predominant hue is red, not green. The aushak, slippery-skinned dumplings filled with fine ribbons of scallion, are dressed in fresh, creamy yogurt; a heavy dusting of dried mint; and a crimson pool of ground-beef-and-chickpea stew. The dishes, from lightly sweet apple-filled stews like the qurme seib to meaty lamb shanks, shimmer like rubies on their white plates. And Zamarod is worth more than its weight in jewels.
See this: Afghan rugs and even a scimitar cover the chandelier-lit walls
Eat this: Aushak, qurme seib, cardamom ice cream
Service: You’ll feel like a welcome guest in a beautiful home.
When to dine here: You’re hungry for home cooking more flavorful than Mom’s ever was.
Feature image by Rey Lopez
This post originally appeared in our November 2021 issue’s Best Restaurants cover story. For more food reviews, subscribe to our weekly newsletter.
