Most people love sandwiches and pizza. It could even be safely said that those that do not are probably worth avoiding. While 10-year old Haida serves many of each, they also serve nostalgia for Iranians living in Los Angeles as the chain's first location in North America. The bold red and yellow colors will be familiar to anyone who lived in Tehran as these shops dot the map of Iran's capital like In-N-Out's dot that of Southern California.
Since opening this location in Glendale, they have expanded to Mission Viejo in 2017, one location in Vancouver, and a few in and around Toronto to serve the Persian communities of these places. The intense color scheme continues inside the small cafรฉ, with red vinyl booths hosting groups of snacking customers surrounded by red and yellow walls.
Since going out for alcoholic drinks is not a thing, you will see friends sharing pizzas with Cokes, tea, or juice in their hands instead. Fresh juice is big business in Iran, but unfortunately despite being in the name here it seems to have slipped from their main offerings. On a recent visit only some oranges were ready to be squeezed, although the menu lists about a dozen interesting options that will hopefully one day return.
Rest assured you can find tea and soft drinks at anytime though, and since that pizza oven is calling from behind the counter, you will not be thinking about that juice for long. Persian-style pizzas are of course not new to town, they can be found in various areas with Persian residents, but may remain under the radar because they are still a niche food that is really only around to please one community.
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| Pizza and sandwich boxes for takeout. |
A pizza in Iran does not start with dough covered in a base of tomato sauce, in fact this is omitted altogether in favor of a base of cheese. Any meats are usually laid down next, with another layer of cheese on top of those. Diced vegetables will usually be last with some dried herbs sprinkled over the whole cheesy creation.
The 10" Persian pizza ($16.99, below) arrives looking like a veggie lovers pie, but rest assured that those meats are stacked generously under the top layer of cheese. Mortadella is combined with Persian sausages, the outlines of which can be seen here and there under the cheese. As per custom, the edges are always slightly charred and crispy, making the soft crust enjoyable right up to the last bite.
Pizza is popular enough that there is even a pizza sandwich made here, with all those ingredients stuffed between bread, but more interesting options include those that resemble Italian American subs and anything else that lets the house sauce shine through. Persians generally love ranch dressing on their pizzas, but at Haida they have a ranch-like creation that has a bit of kick in it. It comes with the pizza for dipping and slathered on their sandwiches, and you will probably see other customers asking for extra portions when they pick up orders.
On of the most popular sandwiches is the beef tongue ($16.99, below), with cuts of meat sliced very thin. Diners who normally shy away from any meat that is not muscle should give this a shot as it is pretty entry level. The cuts are smooth and lean, and the slight kick from the sauce gives a well-rounded bite.
The bread is nothing special, but it does not detract from the sandwich either. When ordering they will ask you if you want greens and onions, and these are worth the 75 cent upgrade to add to the tastes. The herbal garden that results is a quick and filling lunch, the sandwiches are quite large and can split up easily if you are also sharing a pizza.
If you are eating in, do not forget to check out all the candy and other items from back home that they have on display at the counter. Unfortunately none of this is for sale, but is enjoyable even for people who are not overwhelmed with nostalgia from everything in the case.
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