Prospect Heights Restaurant Nominated For 2023 James Beard Award

PROSPECT HEIGHTS, NY — Prospect Heights landed one chef on the shortlist for a major category in the 2023 Restaurant and Chef Awards nominations announced Wednesday by the James Beard Foundation.

Nasim Alikhani, chef at Prospect Heights Persian restaurant Sofreh, was on of five nominated for New York state's Best Chef award. The category includes three chefs from Manhattan eateries and one from Hudson.

The category celebrates chefs in 12 different regions and states who "set high standards in their culinary skills and leadership abilities, and who are making efforts to help create a sustainable work culture in their respective regions, while contributing positively to their broader community," according to the James Beard Foundation.

Winners will be announced June 5 in a ceremony at the Lyric Opera of Chicago.

Sofreh, located at 75 St. Mark's Place, opened in 2018 as a spot for "simple," "authentic, well crafted, and delicious" Persian food, according to its website. The restaurant's name refers to a cultural term that signifies gathering, sharing and a space for family to get together.

"Food is the language through which Nasim Alikhani best knows how to express herself. Her earliest and fondest memories are of staying indoors during the summer as a child, preparing foods and making jams and pickles with her mother. Coming from a tradition of strong women who are great cooks, she began cooking for large gatherings and parties at a young age," Sofreh's website reads.

Sofreh's menu includes a selection of Persian rices, mains spanning from beef ribeye kebabs, lamb shank to a grilled cauliflower steak with pomegranate, walnuts and herbs. To finish off the meal, the menu features saffron rice pudding or traditional rosewater and pistachio ice cream.

Three other Brooklyn eateries were included in this year's nominations: the Llama Inn in Williamsburg, Clover Hill in Brooklyn Heights and Dept of Culture in Bed Stuy.

The James Beard Awards, first presented in 1991, recognize exceptional talent in the culinary and food media industries and are often regarded as the “Oscars of culinary arts.” They recognize a range of experiences, from fine-dining restaurants to casual gems, in 23 categories.