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Tony Sohi, owner of Walnut Creek’s Silk Road, has just opened his first Lafayette restaurant, Lavash, a Middle Eastern bistro in the former Rustic Tavern digs on Mt. Diablo Boulevard. Sohi, who trained under his uncle Faz Poursohi of the Bay Area’s multiple Faz restaurants, is doing the same solid mix of kebabs, pastas, salads and sandwiches that you’ll find at Silk Road and Santorini, his Danville restaurant. In the coming months, Sohi plans to add more seafood and tapas in addition to cocktails, pending a full liquor license. We enjoyed a Monday lunch on the sidewalk patio. Here’s how it went:
THE VIBE: Inside, it’s pretty standard, with simple dark wood tables and chairs. We didn’t hear music on our visit or see a trace of metal in the decor and the kitchen is enclosed, which means that Lavash joins our growing list of quiet Bay Area restaurants where you can actually have a conversation.
If you prefer a bit of color and people watching, dine on the sidewalk patio, which is surrounded by flower-filled planters, much like Silk Road. It’s just the right spot to enjoy an iced tea and the best baba ganoush ($9) we’ve had in a long time — bright in color and flavor thanks to the addition of mint — with the complimentary, fresh-baked lavash.
THE FOOD: Sohi’s menu doesn’t make farm-to-table claims or anything like that, but he and his staff make the important stuff from scratch. And they offer a few extras that set them apart from most mom-and-pop kebaberies. That lavash, for instance, arrives warm, studded with herbs and accompanied by a garlicky tomato cucumber salad.
The grilled boneless chicken kebab is quite good too. It’s juicy and comes with a tasty mustard-flecked sauce that may be hummus based. For lunch, choose one of the $12.95 specials, which are like sampler platters of mini-sized entrees. Our fave, Special #3, comes with three cubes of chicken kebab, a Caesar salad and a half-gyro wrap with housemade tzatziki sauce, lettuce and tomato.
For dinner, tuck into an entree, like the impossibly tender braised lamb shank ($19) in tomato sauce with scalloped potatoes, or the beef kebab made with top-notch filet mignon ($19) served with basmati rice and steamed veggies. (Yes, steamed veggies are boring but healthful.)
DON’T MISS: That full bar with a cocktail menu and additional tapas, coming soon.
PERFECT FOR: Kebab cravings; an alfresco lunch; a quiet dinner in the dining room.
DETAILS: Open from 11 a.m. daily at 3576 Mt. Diablo Blvd., Lafayette.
