Raffi's Place, Persian-Armenian for abundance.

The Place to be for Persian-Armenian.


I say Koobideh, you say Luleh!


The mahi mahi was tempting and my neighbor was in a sharing mood, yum.


I've tried this one at home, haven't you? Raffi's is better,though.


Oh alright, its in the basil family.That's not what my Armenian friend told me!!

Dining on Raffi's comfortable patio setting was the perfect way to kick off the change to daylight savings time.Fifteen of us took advantage of the fair weather,and ample amounts of Persian-Armenian cuisine last night in Glendale.Glendale is the Armenian restaurant center in southern California IMHO. All my favorites are here:Caroussel the Lebanese-Armenian experience(best chikufta) , Phoenicia for fine Lebanese-Armenian, Elena's for simple and tasty Greek-Armenian,and Raffi's Place for Persian-Armenian.Mandaloun was an outstanding destination until it was driven into the ground by its impetuous manager, trying to change the menu and turn it into a jazz club!There are other great Armenian restaurants in other communities, but Glendale has the most quality locations.





It was all about the kebobs last night.We had Koobideh, barg, shish,baghalli polo(lamb),rack of lamb, and mahi mahi on our end of the table.I ordered the barg which was seasoned to perfection along with the Persian influenced basmati rice and the grilled whole tomato and Anaheim pepper.With Raffi's portions you needn't order any appetizers, but there are so good.I shared a yogurt and Moussir with my immediate neighbors, a mezze of yogurt and shallots.All the kebabs were excellent, tender, and bursting with spice and tradition. The filet mignon was my favorite taste of the bunch.Thanks for all the sharing,ladies!





The Persian influence was evident in the different mezze(yogurt and Moussir,lobie,tourshi,and garlic tourshi), the Persian style rice, the seasoning on the kebobs, and the terminology.Koobideh instead of Luleh.





Kotayk, my favorite Armenian beer was on the menu so, the night was resplendent.Great friends, heaps of scrumptuous Persian-Armenian fare,Kotayks served in a chilled pilsner glass, and the charm of patio dining made my evening at Raffi's fantastic.I was nice to have company, 15 of us in all, as Armenian dinners are made for friends and family.Merci!!





Raffi's Place


211 E. BroadwayGlendale,CA


(818) 240-7411


Daily 11:30 a.m.–10 p.m. Beer and wine.

Passport class #2 - Elena's Greek Armenian Cuisine

Elena is a very generous woman.According to her employees, Elena takes care of neighbors and just about anyone she can back in Greece with the proceeds from her modest restaurant located in Glendale. The name of the restaurant is somewhat misleading.Many a blogger and food critic have been thrown off its suggestive title.GREEK-ARMENIAN CUISINE!!! I recently read someone trying to compare Elena's to a Greek restaurant.Well, all they had to do was ask.

Elena is Armenian and is from Greece, part of the Armenian diaspora. She came to the US and opened an Armenian restaurant with some Greek marinades and Armenian marinades, and Greek-Armenian marinades.Maybe it should be called Elena's Greek and Armenian marinades cuisine so that everyone could just stop this madness!!

For the price, Elena's offers Armenian grilled meats such as Lulu(ground beef), Shish kebob(filet mignon), quail, lamb, salmon, and chicken that can't be beat.The Lulu kebob plate at $7.50 is amazing. Add the popular lentil soup with a wonderful lemony flavor and you will have the full experience. Everyone around me generously let me try their meats. I loved the quail and salmon. Eighteen of nineteen students were in attendance last night for this evening in Elena's converted patio dining room.

Elena's doesn't have all the frills of such Glendale institutions like Carousel.They only offer a couple of mezze, Hummos and Mutabal, and a selction of salads.There are grape leaves and a stuffed eggplant.Plenty of lavash(bread) was on hand and some of us capped this dinner with a homemade baklava not drenched in syrup, but flavored by the some of its fresh ingredients. This was accompanied by a high octane Armenian coffee substantial enough to be a ride at Magic Mountain.

If you want a great Armenian meal for under $10, Elena's is unrivaled for Armenian homecooking at a premium.If they can just get a darn liquor license so I can enjoy a cold Kotayk(Armenian beer) with my Lulu plate, Elena's Greek-Armenian Cuisine would be even better.


Elena's Greek Armenian Cuisine
1000 S Glendale Ave
Glendale, CA 91205
(818) 241-5730