Remained anonymous for nearly four decades, the Persian cuisine of a small Dallas restaurant goes viral on social media.
Cover photo: @WFAA
The news
A lifetime of commitment and dedication to the cuisine of his homeland-that of Persia-and a career breakthrough that, thanks to social media, comes after a remarkable 37 years of tireless work is what happened to Samad Afghanipour, owner of Samad Cafe in Dallas. Arriving in the United States from Iran in 1982, Afghanipour has been running his small restaurant since 1989, as Eater reports in an article devoted to his unexpected success. Tucked away on a side street near Love Field, Samad Cafe is one of those places where you don't just happen to be there, you have to be taken there. In the restaurant, almost hidden by the nearby garage, Samad, every weekday, serves delicious Persian dishes, such as lamb shank, chicken quarters, beef bites, as well as skewers of chelo (ground beef) and jojeh (chicken).
Until recently, this gastronomic gem was a secret kept by the few loyal customers; then along came a digital creator who, under the pseudonym Sam's POV, made a video as he savors a marinated lamb shank in a bowl of broth, accompanied by Persian rice and lavash bread. What struck Sam's POV and all his followers was Samad's extreme kindness and that sense of home and family that comes with serving dishes from his homeland, so far away from Dallas. The video, in which Samad is portrayed saying, "Whatever you want, I'll bring it to you, ” has totaled an impressive 13 million views, 2 million likes and more than 9,000 comments.
The content, which immediately went viral, brought Samad Cafe to the attention of the web so much so that, the following week, the content creator returned to taste Samad's delicacies again and hand over $3,000 in cash, the result of the many donations received from users to support the restaurant. Afghanipour, in his kindness and humility, initially refused the sum and then decided to put it back into a cookie jar set aside for tips and intended for the needy.
Despite the unexpected success Samad, with the help of his family given the growing demand, continues to cook his traditional dishes in the small restaurant, his home, for almost 40 years now. For the more curious palates and lovers of lamb, there is, then, a special offer for $50 that includes head, two legs and two tongues of lamb, but, beware, it requires 48 hours' notice.
