Albanian, Cuban, Italian, Jamaican, Mexican...none of these festival-food prospects was as intriguing as Iranian. Simply the fact that the chef disdained the name Persian, as the cuisine has been branded at Cafe Nadery and Taste of Persia, was sufficient to catch my attention.
This table was staffed by a South Asian restaurant called Kebab Curry Halal Food. Perhaps to distinguish itself from its very focused neighbor Neerob, the restaurant not only served food from its own Bangladeshi-Pakistani-Indian repertoire but also prepared tastings that claimed allegiance to the Near East and to Southeast Asia; the kebabs in the first photo were dubbed "Iranian style" and "Turkish style." More experimentation of this sort would be very welcome; red-peppery chicken kebabs are a start.
Allerton Avenue Festival
Allerton Ave. between Barnes Ave. and Boston Rd., Bronxwood, Bronx
www.Facebook.com/events/548508841852411
(The 2013 festival was held on August 25)
