The eggplant is one of the great culinary obsessions of our time. There are many ways to love it: breaded and fried and smothered with marinara and mozzarella; cooked to a sweet, spicy, glorious smoosh in a Cantonese stew; dry-fried with Sichuan peppercorns and mounds of chilis. But right now the eggplant that tugs at our hearts most violently is the kashke bademjan at Attari Sandwich Shop in Westwood's Tehrangeles. Sweet, rich, tangy blended eggplant comes topped with a blanket of crunchy fried shallots and milky whey. It's served with squares of Persian flatbread, which are like pita but thinner, and therefore less distracting, allowing your full attention to be given to the bademjan, perhaps eggplant's perfect expression. Attari is known, rightfully, for its sandwiches, served with tart pickles on French bread. You can get a tongue sandwich, or brains, or chicken if you'd like, though the tongue is far better. On most days, the leafy patio out front is filled with Persian families — recently we were there on a rare cold, rainy day, and everyone in the room was huddled over bowls of osh, the warming barley soup full of herbs and the bitter undertone of fenugreek. Pure comfort. A few weeks back, a friend left her car out front for a quick minute to rush inside and grab one of those tongue sandwiches to go. She returned to a parking ticket, of course. “It was worth it; for that tongue sandwich, it was worth it,” she sighed. 1388 Westwood Blvd., Wstwd. (entrance on Wilkins); (310) 441-5488, attarisandwiches.com. Tues.-Sun., 11 a.m.-10 p.m. Sandwiches $4.95-$8.25. No alcohol.

 

Besha Rodell's Introduction

Anne Fishbein's Photography

The Google Map

 

The 99 Essential Restaurants List:

A-Frame
Alma
Angelini Osteria
Animal
Attari Sandwich Shop
Bäco Mercat
Bar Amá
The Bazaar
Bestia
BierBeisl
Bludso's
Cacao Mexicatessen
Canelé
La Casita Mexicana
Cemitas Poblanas Elviritas
Chichen Itza
Chung King
Cole's
Coni'Seafood
Cube Cafe & Marketplace
Din Tai Fung
Eva
Father's Office
Fred 62
Gjelina
Golden Deli
Go's Mart
Il Grano
Guelaguetza
Guisados
Hatfield's
Ha Tien Quan
Hawkins House of Burgers
Hayat's Kitchen
El Huarache Azteca
Huckleberry
The Hungry Cat
ink.
Jar
Jitlada
JTYH Heavy Noodle II
Kang Ho Dong Baekjong
Kiriko
Kiyokawa
Kogi Truck
Krua Siri
L&E Oyster Bar
Langer's
Little Dom's
Lucques
Ludo Truck
Lukshon
Mariscos Jalisco
Matsuhisa
Meals by Genet
Mélisse
Milo and Olive
Mo-Chica
Musso & Frank
Nem Nuong Ninh Hoa
Nickel Diner
Night + Market
Oinkster
Osteria Mozza
Pann's
Pa-Ord Noodle
El Parian
Park's BBQ
Philippe the Original
Picca
Pink's
Pizzeria Mozza
Playa
Pollo a la Brasa
Providence
R&R Soul Food
Ración
Red Medicine
Ricky's Fish Tacos
Rivera
Rocio's Moles de los Dioses
Salt's Cure
Sapp Coffee Shop
Savoy Kitchen
Sea Harbour
Shanghai No. 1 Village Seafood
Soban
Son of a Gun
Sotto
Spago
The Spice Table
Superba Snack Bar
Tacos Leo
The Tasting Kitchen
Tavern
Tsujita LA
Vincenti Ristorante
Wurstküche
Zam Zam Market

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