Delbar, the Middle Eastern restaurant and bar in Atlanta’s Inman Park neighborhood delivering a menu of classic Persian cuisine with Israeli, Turkish and Lebanese touches, announces a new location is coming to Alpharetta on Wednesday, May 10. Located at 4120 Old Milton Pkwy, the new space will initially be open Tuesday-Sunday for dinner and will eventually be open seven days a week for brunch, lunch and dinner.
Guests can expect the simple and comforting Persian and Middle Eastern dishes Delbar is known for, many of which are drawn from owner and native Iranian Fares Kargar’s family recipes. Dinner menu highlights include shareable ‘Spreads’ such as Hummus garnished with crispy chickpea & sumac; ‘Mazze’ (small bites) like Omani Shrimp with Black Tiger shrimp, Persian dried lime, sour orange & herbs; ‘Meats’ like Chinjeh, Prime Beef Sirloin with saffron, onion & yogurt marinade; and ‘Greens & Grains” such as Sabzi Polo with scallions, parsley, cilantro & fenugreek basmati rice. Plus, a new savory brunch menu will feature favorites like Shroom Peynirli Pide with oyster mushrooms, fried onion & kasseri cheese and bakery items such as baklava with walnut, phyllo dough, pistachio & orange blossom. Homemade condiments and made-from-scratch taftoun bread and other bakery items will also be offered.
The beverage program from Beverage Director Francis Coligado will be centered around Persian flavors. The standout selection will include cocktails crafted with ingredients and spices imported directly from Iran like fresh barberries, cardamom, Persian dried lime & sour cherries. Rounding out the food menu, the beverage list also features draft beer, Mediterranean natural wines and refreshing sharbats, non-alcoholic drinks made from fruit and flowers.
Translating to ‘heart, captured’ in Farsi, Delbar is a love letter to the influential dishes that shaped Kargar’s youth and the women in his life who instilled in him a deep appreciation for Middle Eastern cooking.
Hailing from Gorgan, Iran, Kargar grew up in the kitchen alongside his mother, aunts and grandmother. When first developing Delbar, he recounted his family’s regular get-togethers––often pushing 20 to 30 guests––where brothers and sisters, cousins and parents would gather round as Kargar’s grandmother dished warm, toasted bread straight from her tandoor oven.
At 17, Kargar left Iran to seek a higher education and worked in Turkey as a refugee, broadening his understanding of Turkish cuisine and sharpening his culinary skills. He moved to the U.S. shortly after and earned a degree in hospitality from Georgia State University, all while working his way up the ranks at restaurants around the city. At 31, Kargar brought his dream of opening his own restaurant to reality.
The new 8,000-square-foot restaurant, designed by Kargar with Archie Bolden as the consulting designer, will feature light, earth-toned walls, antique textiles and rustic wooden touches with lush greenery draped throughout, inspired by the countryside in Iran where Kargar’s grandmother resides. The restaurant will have a private event space with a dedicated bar, plus additional parking and valet will be available.
