News & Reviews
Mike Assar
God Times Santa Cruz
When Mike Assar moved from his native Iran to the United Sates in 1964, he never dreamed how his life would pan out, but he had the drive and passion that has propelled him through life.
He put himself through college by waiting on tables in Chicago—getting his first glimpse of the culinary world. But it was years later that he would help operate and cook in a restaurant of his own.
After graduating with a BSEE, Assar married his college sweetheart, Joyce, and moved to the Bay Area in 1970, where he worked in the high tech industry. Three children came along and now the Assars have a granddaughter, too.
After working at seven start-up companies in Silicon Valley, he eventually co-founded Lexar, a maker of memory cards for digital cameras. He finally retired last year.
When Assar’s son-in-law Ed Watson, approached him about opening a restaurant, Assar realized that he could utilize one of his hobbies—cooking.
“I started cooking when I was 15 to help my mother,” he says. “And I continued while in college.” He realized, too, that he could put his Persian background to good use by making some of his homeland’s exotic dishes, including torchi, the pickled vegetables served at Zameen.
“Our torchi is different,” he notes, “because I use a complex spice mixture that gives it a unique flavor.”
Persian food tends to be more spicy than American cuisine, and there’s a strong influence of exotic spices. such as saffron and sumac. Rice is served at most meals.
Assar says that when the staff at Zameen gets fully comfortable with the complicated menu, especially operating the flatbread oven and kabob grill, he plans to prepare a special exotic dish of the day.
“We also want to introduce an international brunch menu on weekends,” he says.
Although Watson controls the day-to-day operation of Zameen, Assar plays a major role in the kitchen by conjuring up his favorite Persian recipes. He loves to cook at home, too. After living in Morgan Hill for 28 years, the Assars moved to Aptos where they have been building their “dream home” for the last three years.
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Experience more at Zameen Mediterranean Cuisine, 7528 Soquel Dr. (in the Aptos Center), Aptos. Call 688-4465 or visit zameencuisine.com . Email: info@zameencuisine.com.
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