Celebrating 30 Years of Yum

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Cafe Natasha's 30th Anniversary, Kabobs, Middle Eastern, Persian, Saint Louis

Since its roots were born in downtown Saint Louis in 1983 as “The Little Kitchen” a small Mom and Pop establishment on the ground level of the Paul Brown Building, the cafeteria-like restaurant laid the foundation for present day Cafe Natasha’s from Delmar to South Grand. Hamishe and Behshid Bahrami churned out favorites with only a small convection oven and a stove top burner, serving made-from-scratch dishes to satisfy the cravings of Saint Louisans then and for the last 30 years.

It is because of your love, support and appetite we have made it to this milestone. This year marks a very special occasion where we celebrate life, success and the future of our relationship with the Saint Louis foodie community.

To thank you for all your years of consistent love and support, Cafe Natasha’s  held a 30th Anniversary Feast on August 15th,  a true celebration of the amazing family, friends and food!

Link to 30th Anniversary Photos

On that evening August 15th, Mayor Francis G. Slay along with Alderman Steve Conway awarded a Proclamation to Cafe Natasha’s for 30 years of business and commitment to the Saint Louis community officially honoring it as Cafe Natasha’s day.

The Exclusive festive evening at Cafe Natasha’s showcased a newly renovated dining room, bar area and the Garden at Natasha’s for an abundance of food, drink and entertainment from live Persian music to belly dancing.

“The best thing about having our restaurant? The amazing people we’ve met and the friends we’ve made…There is no place I’d rather be than Saint Louis. The people of this town have embraced us, loved us and it is our pleasure to feed them. We couldn’t do this anywhere else.”  ~ Hamishe

All our love,

Hamishe, Behshid and Natasha~

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Before and After: Cafe Natasha’s Renovations

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Cafe Natasha's 30th Anniversary, Falafel, Hummus, Kabobs, mediterranian, Middle Eastern, Natasha Bahrami, Persian, Persian Food, Restaurant Renovations, Saint Louis

As we papered up our windows the last day of June, we were overwhelmed by excitement and nerves. Closing for only 10 days to do the biggest renovation since we opened our 3rd location on South Grand 12 years ago, our 30th anniversary changes would be a drastic, much needed makeover.

Motivated by our color scheme and simple layout of our second location on Delmar designed by Saint Louis Artist John Pils, our goal was to replicate the simple layout and classic pastels that brightened the small dining room on Delmar.

  

A lighter brighter Natasha’s was underway as we tore out the carpets, walls, bar, lights, bathroom and ceilings. Check out the tear out and tiles that transformed our north dining room into a more casual and spacious bar area.

We were most excited about our new bar design by our interior designer Vicki Dreste, transforming our current display into a bold and bright showcase.

The before and after tin ceilings redone:

Cafe Natasha’s re-opened Thursday July 11th with a fresh new face. Check out the renovations soon!

Reminder! Cafe Natasha’s 30th Anniversary Feast is Thursday August 15th! Contact Natasha @ CafeNatasha30@gmail.com to receive your invite.

Here’s what you need to know:

• The best grilled meats in town
• The biggest feast of fresh local lamb! Braised, smoked, pulled, stewed, sauteed and grilled in every preparation you can imagine
• Cold smoked meats and fish, freshly smoked and carved to order
• Falafel Bar
• Vegetarian and Vegan specialties
• Delicacies from the “Little Kitchen” menu; Yes, the famous baked fish and quiche will be served!
• Chef’s specialties; off menu specialty items
• Live Persian Band and plenty of dancing!
• Belly Dancing shows
• Bubbly and Hamishe’s Signature Sangria
• Our favorite wine reps providing wine samples and tasting notes through the night
• Ceremony and Thank You words to all in attendance

Don’t miss our 30th Anniversary Feast. Cafe Natasha’s family won’t stand for your absence and neither will our food. It is going to be amazing, so RSVP on EventBrite before they sell out as you know we have limited space!

Cheers,

Natasha and the Cafe Natasha Team

www.cafenatasha.com

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Perfectly Shanked

Simple Instructions for Braising

It’s finally fall and your senses are all about the changing seasons. Something about the ginormous pumpkins and colorful squash lining the produce stands at every local market or the aroma of warm savory spices floating from the kitchen of the corner café that has got you craving; an oddly insatiable craving for lamb.

 

So stricken, you even passed on your favorite Sirloin Shish Kabobs last weekend at the Persian place down the street and instead opted for the braised Lamb Shank! So tender and flavorful, your craving for lamb grows stronger and BAM! You find yourself with 3lbs of fresh lamb the local butcher had on sale this week.

 

And sure enough, I receive the frantic phone call “Help Please! How do I cook lamb?”

For all those who have ever found themselves in the same predicament, we would like to impart some valuable know how. Cooking lamb is an art. And because American, New Zealand, and Australian lamb is more gamy than Middle Eastern lamb, specific preparation will produce a superior outcome.

Ingredients:

Depending on the amount of meat:

½ to 1 cup of water

1 to 2 large onions quartered

2 to 4 Bay leaves

2 to 4 clove garlic

1 tsp Cinnamon,

1 tsp turmeric,

1 tsp cumin powder

1 tbsp curry paste

Preparation:

Select a heavy soup pot, Dutch oven, or larger saucepan

 Rinse and dry lamb shoulder or lamb shank

Sprinkle the meat with seasoned salt, pepper,

Dash cinnamon, turmeric, cumin powder, curry paste

Cover the pot and cook over medium heat for ½ to 1 hour until steam forms and sustains, and the meat changes color.

Tips for stovetop cooking:

Cover the meat with cold water and bring it to a boil. Then reduce heat to simmer until all the meat is falling off the bone.

Tips for crock-pot cooking:

Put meat into the crock-pot and cover completely with water. Add any combination of tomato, paste, sauce, and dried fruit you like for taste.

The essential element of this method is to reduce the gamy character of the lamb. Furthermore, when the meat has finished cooking, separate the meat from the broth. Skin the fat and add seasoning to taste. Put the cleaned and seasoned meat back into the broth until ready to be served.

Natasha~ FKA