by Dennis Augustine
Cecile and I met our dear friends Mo and Simin for a 6:30 dinner at Chelokababi Persian Cuisine, and the first order of business was big hugs.
Chelokababi — the national dish of Iran — features fragrant saffron basmati rice served with perfectly grilled kebabs. The flavors are rich yet comforting, and the family-owned restaurant (since 1979) exudes a warm, old-world charm.
When Mo and Simin had first asked where we’d like to go, I suggested Chelokababi — only to learn they’ve known the family for years, and Simin once worked at a rental business next door decades ago.
Our friendship goes back to our Bay Club Courtside days — yoga classes, selling our Saratoga home, and helping us settle into Rinconada Hills, a gated community. Between the Covid crisis, leaving the club and becoming grandparents, too much time had passed.
Sharing cream puffs and chocolate lava cake — and their insistence on picking up the bill — made the evening even sweeter.
A beautiful night of saffron, stories, and rekindled friendship — the kind that reminds you how big a place good friends hold in your life, even after the passage of time
