Two weeks after dining at Chelo in Roswell, I’m still daydreaming about the restaurant’s polo dishes — exquisite Persian presentations of basmati rice with a golden, crackly crown (known as tahdig) and a topping of crispy fried onions over the marvelously fluffy, saffron-stained grains.
I’m still savoring the juiciness of every kabob koobideh order. Exceptionally seasoned ground meat — be it chicken, beef or lamb — was shaped into logs around the skewers and grilled to perfection.
And I’m still swooning over plump, buttery, chargrilled Chilean sea bass and thinking about swiping wedges of house-made taftan flatbread (baked in Chelo’s tandoor) into a thick, white dip of feta and labneh, flecked green with grated olives and jalapeno.
Credit: Courtesy of Chelo
Credit: Courtesy of Chelo
I make a mental grocery list of pistachios, phyllo dough and vanilla ice cream to try and re-create Chelo’s baklava ice cream sandwich — then nix the idea. I’m an amateur baklava maker; these guys are the real deal.
Chelo is a delight. With the exception of an overcooked whole branzino, every plate was a feast for eye and mouth.
A venture by business partners Matt Iyibas and Justin Karam, Chelo is the upscale, full-service companion to their fast-casual restaurant Kabob Land on Piedmont Road in Buckhead. Iyibas developed the menu, and Kabob Land chef Juan Carlos helped execute his ideas.
Credit: Courtesy of Chelo
Credit: Courtesy of Chelo
Chelo, which means “plain steamed rice” in Farsi, specializes in Persian cuisine, but also has dishes from other parts of the Middle East and Iyibas’ native Turkey, such as that to-die-for dip of labneh, feta, olives and jalapeno. Ibiyas said he first tasted it during a trip to Istanbul last year and coaxed the recipe from the server.
That signature dip is an example of the kitchen’s attention to detail. The grated olives and jalapeno bring a mediated level of salinity and heat. Another example is the distinct knife cuts applied to tomato wedges, watermelon radishes (thin round rings) and Persian cucumbers (on the bias) that combine with mint and crispy fried taftan pieces in a vibrant, fresh salad that offers variety with every bite. And, of course, there’s the prized tahdig of scorched, crispy rice that’s carefully flipped from the pan and inverted for a pretty presentation.
Chelo also checks the boxes for generous portions and genuine value, such as with the lamb Adana sliders, a $16 starter of lamb koobideh drizzled with tzatziki and featuring a scattering of red onion slices on grilled flatbread. It’s cut into four generous slices.
Koobideh and kabob entrees, which average in the low-to-mid-$20 range, all come with a choice of polo rice. (Herby sabzi is my favorite; for something sweet and nutty, try the shirin polo, studded with pistachio, dried orange peel, almonds and barberry.)
Credit: Courtesy of Chelo
Credit: Courtesy of Chelo
The beverage program isn’t quite at the kitchen’s level, but it is catching up. Cocktails developed by bar manager Cenk Acan incorporate Middle Eastern flavors and generally are well-balanced and distinctive — from the whiskey-based Persian smoke presented at the table in a smoke box, to the morning Negroni with a Turkish coffee wash and the olive garden spritz for the martini lover.
By-the-glass wines start at $10. The current list is serviceable, though you’ll recognize labels from the grocery store. I’m more excited about Acan’s shipment of wines due to arrive from Turkey, Lebanon, Iran and Greece.
Iyibas already gave the interior space a cosmetic makeover from its days as Saucy Roswell Craft Kitchen and Cocktails — greenery dangles from the ceiling and raised banquettes along one wall provide an easy view of the pass-through window surrounded by decorative pottery on the shelves. Now, he’s constructing a 90-seat patio (with a retractable roof and outdoor bar) that’s expected to be completed in April.
Credit: Courtesy of Chelo
Credit: Courtesy of Chelo
Good food, drinks and ambience become a terrific dining experience when combined with quality service. Chelo’s servers are well-versed in the menu, offer recommendations easily when asked and keep the meal flowing.
Beginning with a complimentary basket of taftan, featuring nibbles of feta, radishes, walnuts and watercress, and progressing to a sweet ending of baklava, a Persian feast at Chelo is worth every penny.
Credit: Courtesy of Chelo
Credit: Courtesy of Chelo
CHELO
3 out of 4 stars (excellent)
Food: Persian, with some other Middle Eastern and Turkish dishes
Service: informed and expeditious
Noise level: low
Recommended dishes: lamb Adana sliders, kashke bademjan, Chelo dip, heirloom tomato salad, koobideh (various), chinjeh, Chilean sea bass, any polo (especially the sabzi), baklava ice cream sandwich
Vegetarian dishes: feta cheese rolls; kashke bademjan; dolma; falafel; cauliflower; fries; all cold mezze, soups and salads; grilled vegetable kabob; all polo rice dishes
Alcohol: full bar; specialty cocktails incorporate Persian flavors
Price range: $$$ (less than $75 per person, excluding drinks)
Hours: 4-10 p.m. Sundays-Thursdays, 4-11 p.m. Fridays-Saturdays
Parking: free lot with limited parking, paid street parking
MARTA: no
Reservations: suggested on weekends
Outdoor dining: new patio coming in April
Takeout: online ordering for pickup and delivery Sundays-Thursdays only
Address, phone: 964 Alpharetta St., Roswell. 470-294-1167
Website: cheloroswell.com
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution’s dining critics conduct reviews anonymously. Reservations are not made in their name, nor do they provide restaurants with advance notice about their visits. Our critics always make multiple visits, sample the full range of the menu and pay for all of their meals. AJC dining critics wait at least one month after a new restaurant has opened before visiting.
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