Shirvan

Oh Yerevan! City of icy sidewalks, tuff-encased buildings, and sweeping views of Ararat! Here was my first real meal, and probably the best one of the trip. I ended up with a group of 12 Spaniards and one Albanian at this Iranian restaurant in the center of town near the opera house. Being the only Russophone and Iranophile in the crowd, I handled the ordering. I scored a major first for a post-soviet dining experience - the waitress actually *thanked* me for my help ordering food and managing the crowd. The meal itself was fantastic - perfect rice, kebabs, salad-e-shirazi, mast-o-khiar, ghormeh sabzi, and tea served from a Nadir Shah teapot. Plus ample draft Kilikiya and Kotayk lagers to wash it all down.