Shahrazad Tells a New Story at its New Location

PERSIAN-MIDDLE EASTERN RESTAURANT ADDS A COUNTER SERVICE OPTION

BY DAVID LUHRSSEN

Anew yet familiar restaurant has opened on a busy stretch of Oakland Avenue near UWM. Wedged between a Domino’s and a Jimmy John’s, and on the same block as a Qdoba and a Noodles & Co., Shahrazad adds a different flavor to a strip known for fast food. Shahrazad serves a menu of Persian and Middle Eastern fare, prepared quickly for sit down meals or for carry-outs.

From 1993 through 2021, Shahrazad operated from unpretentiously elegant quarters near the corner of Oakland and Locust. The primarily sit-down restaurant, decorated with Persian artifacts, invited dinners to linger. But last year, owner Mohammad Khatibi, an immigrant who came to Milwaukee to attend UWM in the ‘80s, closed the old location and headed north on Oakland to the former site of The Halal Guys. “COVID is the only reason,” Khatibi says when asked why he moved. “The dining experience was fading away. I had to come up with a new plan. I still had my regular customers, but they weren’t going out as often, which made it difficult to stay in business.”

Open since Nov. 1 in the new spot, the new Shahrazad is more utilitarian looking with counter service and sit-down dining tables set on a tile floor. Vestiges of its former incarnation include photographs of the ruins of ancient Persia’s capital, Persepolis, and a scene illustrating the restaurant’s heroine-namesake, Shahrazad—the woman who fended off death for 1,001 nights by telling captivating stories to her homicidal husband.

MEAT LUNCH SPECIAL VEGAN LUNCH SPECIAL

MEAT, VEGETARIAN AND VEGAN

Khatibi describes the new menu as “the same mixture [of Persian and Middle Eastern] but fewer items,” eliminating dishes that involved heavy expenditures of time and labor to prepare while retaining the most popular items. Gone are several traditional dishes including the Persian eggplant and garlic spread called kashkeh-e-bademjan. However, many familiar specialties remain, such as the yellow split lentil soup (cup $2.99; bowl $3.99), a warm and hearty favorite for the cold months of the year. There are three lamb entrees, five beef entrees and five chicken entrees plus a mixed grill and five vegetarian entrees ($10.99-$18.99). The new restaurant continues to offer a half-dozen stuffed pita sandwiches (felafel, chicken, beef and lamb) ($5.99-$8.99) and introduces a new line of burgers (topped with “Mo’s secret sauce”) ($4.99-$8.99). All gluten free, vegetarian and vegan items are clearly marked—and there are many in each category to choose from.

Good introductions to the menu are provided by the meat and vegan lunch specials, available weekdays 11 a.m.-3 p.m. ($9.99). Each includes a mound of basmati rice and a salad of iceberg lettuce, tomatoes and cucumbers. The meat special boasts two racks of gently seasoned beef kabob koubideh and several tender chunks of chicken shish kabab. The vegan special focuses on creamy hummus studded with whole chickpeas, tender grape leaves stuffed with rice and felafel fried to crispy perfection without a hint of grease. Both come with a basket of oven-warmed pita bread and choice of soda or bottled water.

“The legacy of Shahrazad,” Khatibi explains, referring to the heroine as well as the restaurant, “is that the story goes on and on—you can’t end it easily.” With his new location, another chapter begins.

SHAHRAZAD

3133 N. Oakland Ave. (414) 964-5475 shahrazadrestaurant.com $$