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"PERSIAN FOOD IS always good," a foodie friend said to me after I told him of a stellar meal I had at Rumi's Kitchen, opened since January on Roswell Road.

Chef-owner Ali Mesghali, who was part-owner of nearby Persepolis, has branched out to take Persian offerings in the Atlanta area beyond the buffet and into something that smacks of tradition.

Elissa Eubanks/Staff (ENLARGE)
Bandenjoon at Rumi's Kitchen is eggplant slow-cooked in a veal stew alongside a side of rice.
Elissa Eubanks/Staff (ENLARGE)
Mast khiar blends cucumbers, yogurt, raisins, walnuts and fresh herbs.
Elissa Eubanks/Staff (ENLARGE)
Diners take in the hearty fare, which usually is served with fresh bread and a bowl of fresh herbs.
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Ancient tradition. For to truly experience the sweet-and-sour soulfulness of a mouthful of mast khiar, one must first understand that Persia — now Iran — has played a central role in the development of world cuisine. Take note of that bite of badenjoon, baby. It's got history.

Centrally located in the Ancient World, Iran was a land bridge from Asia to Western Europe for over a millennia. Imagine Italy without eggplant or lemons. Imagine Spain without almonds, oranges and rice. France without tarragon and yogurt. All came (although some, like citrus, not originally) from Persia.

Almost all Persian meals are accompanied by fresh bread and a bowl of fresh herbs. Breakfast is usually bread and herbs such as tarragon and mint served with fresh, soft, smearable feta, butter and walnuts — all eaten together.

At Rumi's this ritual is encouraged, even though breakfast is really lunch. The flatbread — which appears to be a mixed breed of traditional sangak and lavash — is baked continuously in Rumi's open oven, one of the most prominent components of the small restaurant's soothing décor (which also includes a tiny hookah den).

Its wheaty aroma permeates the foyer, the air on the patio, the small, attentively decorated dining area. Served in modern spiral baskets, it is the center of attention at each table, and wonderfully soft and pliable, seasoned with mild spices.

I found great joy in smearing it through a small plate of kashk badenjoon, an eggplant dish stewed with tomatoes and onions and topped with a tart cream of whey, caramelized onions and dried mint.

To offset sweetness, Persian cuisine employs the use of lemons, limes, dried barberries (think tiny dried cranberries) or dried sumac, found in small bowls on each table. In this dish, it is unripened grapes that give a lovely, distinct hint of sour.

Stews are commonplace, and badenjoon (eggplant) shows up again in a main course with tomatoes, onions and tender, generous, meaty chunks of veal.

Barg kebab is marinated beef drenched in the flavors of butter, onion, lemon and saffron. An inquisitive look — brought on by its thin, pounded appearance — may bring a serving of shireen polow, saffron-scented rice mixed with almonds and tart barberries, then sprinkled with dried sumac.

Otherwise, your meat — and there are plenty of kebabs and lamb dishes as well as Cornish hen — will be accompanied by chelow, the light, cloudlike plain white rice that is Iran's staple.

There will be plump, juicy stewed tomatoes as well. There will be shirazi, a fresh salad of prettily diced cucumbers, tomatoes and onions with the added astringency of parsley. Afterward, there will be Iranian tea with honey.

And, as my friend pointed out, it is always good.

RUMI'S KITCHEN
Overall rating:
Food: Persian
Service: It's like speaking the language when you're in a foreign country here: if you try a little, great effort will be given to accommodate. When in Rome.
Setting: A warming, open oven is at the décor's center. The inside dining area is comfortingly offset by a wall illuminated with candles. Wicker chairs and ceiling fans bedeck the patio.
Address, telephone: 6152 Roswell Road, 404-477-2100
Price range: $$
Credit cards: Visa, MasterCard, American Express
Hours of operation: Open for lunch Monday-Friday from 11:30 a.m. to 3 p.m.; dinner Monday-Thursday from 3 to 10 p.m., Friday from 3 to 11; also open Saturday from noon to 11 p.m., Sunday from noon to 10 p.m.
Reservations: Accepted
Best dishes: Mast khiar, kashk badenjoon, barg kebab, chicken barg, shirazi salad
Vegetarian selections: Shirazi salad, mast khiar, kashk badenjoon, Rumi's dip
Parking: Complimentary valet
Wheelchair access: Yes
Smoking: No smoking, other than the hookah
Noise level: Low to medium
Patio: Enclosed patio, soon to be air conditioned
Takeout: Yes
Web site: www.rumiskitchen.com

KEY TO RATINGS
Outstanding: Sets the standard for fine dining in the region.
Excellent: One of the best in the Atlanta area.
Very good: Merits a drive if you're looking for this kind of dining.
Good: A worthy addition to its neighborhood, but food may be hit or miss.
Fair: The food is more miss than hit.
Restaurants that do not meet these criteria are rated Poor.

Pricing code: $$$$ means above $35; $$$ means $20-$35; $$ means $10-$20; $ means $10 or less. ® means reservations accepted.