Although there’s no firm agreement about the healthiest diet, there is consensus that the Mediterranean and Middle Eastern traditions come pretty close. Both involve meals rich in olive oils, simply prepared vegetables, pasta, seafood and moderate amounts of grilled meats. The fact that Italians tend to live long despite consuming oceans of strong black coffee, lots of red wine and too many cigarettes has to prove something about what they eat.
If you feel like performing an experiment to see which diet is better for you, Neno’s in Wilmington will be your laboratory. Neno’s was once a typical pizza joint, but in 2007 new owners added Persian food to the menu. In the process, they also remodeled the interior, which is decorated with enough elegance and taste to inspire other businesses in Wilmington. This is undoubtedly the prettiest and most upscale place in town, the date night spot for the heart of the harbor.
I went there with my wife. She was attracted to the Italian side, while I was drawn to the Persian. She looked longingly at the pizzas but eventually decided on fried zucchini and fettuccine Alfredo with shrimp, while I was curious about a baked eggplant starter and decided to follow with a lamb shank accompanied by basmati rice with sour cherries and barberries.
The first thing to arrive at the table was something we hadn’t ordered: thin lahvosh flatbread with raw onion and pats of butter. On the theory that things that arrive together probably should be eaten together, I started to butter my bread and put onion on it. Our server volunteered that the bread was intended to be eaten with the eggplant starter, the butter was for the rice, and Persians like to eat bits of raw onion to cleanse their taste buds between nibbles of lamb.
The zucchini was exactly what we expected: spears of vegetable breaded with an herbed crumb batter and fried. It was made from fresh ingredients and crisp— a well executed classic. The eggplant item called kashkeh bademjan was more interesting but might not be for everybody because it has strong, albeit well-balanced, flavors. The eggplant was baked without being de-seeded, which gives it an intense vegetable flavor, then mashed and mixed with sautéed onions and herbs, topped with chopped mint and a type of thick yogurt called kashk or kashik. It’s not like the better-known Arabic baba ganoush, which has smoky flavors, tahini and garlic. This eggplant was modified by the sweet onion, olive oil and herbs with a little bright mint to round it out. I had to think about whether I liked it at first. The balance of flavors changed with every bite and I decided I did. We might have eaten it all except that we had seen plates at other tables and knew a lot more food was coming.
When the main courses arrived, we realized immediately that a lot of food would be going home. The big bowl of pasta Alfredo had been offered with either chicken or shrimp, and there was a generous portion of seafood over the noodles in creamy sauce with little hints of red and black pepper. Sometimes Alfredo sauce tastes only of cream and a little cheese, but when it’s done right, there are hints of seasoning that elevate it. The pepper was on the assertive side for this sauce, but we completely approved.
The lamb shank had plenty of tender meat and was fragrant from the herbed braising sauce; unusually, it was served on a separate plate rather than over the Persian style rice. The rich meat paired nicely with the tart barberries and sour cherries in the rice, so we combined the two thoroughly and enjoyed the mix. We also discovered the wisdom of having a bite of mild raw onion every once in awhile, as it rebooted our palates after the rich meat and let us taste everything as though it was the first bite. I didn’t think the rice needed the butter when it had that braising sauce, but would fit with something unsauced, like a kebab.
Neno’s Norooz has a minimal beer and wine selection. We had glasses of Chardonnay and cabernet. They were standard low-end wines but drinkable; if you want to bring your own, corkage is only seven bucks.
A few desserts are usually offered, including tiramisu and Persian sugared doughnuts, but on the day we went they had run out of the most interesting items. Since we were full and taking leftovers from both entrees and the starter, we didn’t really need it. Our lavish meal ran only $60, which was remarkable for both quality and quantity.
Had we been dedicated scientists, we might have resolved to return on a regular basis with my wife always ordering Italian and me always ordering Persian, just to test the health effects. In practice, this would be futile, since we always share our meals and also couldn’t control for other factors like the fact that I drink many more cocktails than she does. I’d also want to try the fried chicken and other items, which would damage the predictability of the experiment. We’ll probably return regularly, anyway, just because we like the food, environment and cheerful service.
Neno’s Norooz is at 910 W. Pacific Coast Highway in Wilmington. It is open daily at 10:45 a.m.; it closes at 9:30 p.m. Sundays through Thursdays and 10:30 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays. It has a small lot or side street parking, wheelchair accessible and many vegetarian options.
Details: (310) 834-5577; nenospizzawilmington.com