The Best Desserts in Atlanta

Chef and owner Ashkan Familli, who was born and raised in Iran, named his restaurant based on fond childhood memories of the winter holiday of Yalda, celebrated on December 21 (the longest, darkest night of the year.) Yalda serves a variety of Persian and Mediterranean mezze plates, spreads such as za’atar labneh and mirza ghasemi with flatbread, a selection of kebabs, and other dishes like tahdig (crispy Persian rice), lamb shank braised for eight hours, and wraps stuffed with falafel or lamb shawarma. Dessert includes baklava with coffee. But the real star of the dessert show at Yalda is the Persian ice cream sandwich made with waffle cookies stuffed with ice cream infused with saffron, rose water, and pistachios. It’s hard not to order this dessert every single time. A location of Yalda is also open at the Osprey complex on the corner of Howell Mill Road and 10th Street in Atlanta.