Delphi Greek 30 year anniversary

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• published: 27 Oct 2015
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WEST LOS ANGELES, Calif., Oct. 22, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- On October 18, 2015, Delphi Greek Restaurant celebrated 30 years in the same location. The restaurant was honored with an impressive nine commendations from government officials. The ceremony was MC'd by Chairman of the Westwood Community Council Steve Sann and awards were presented to owner and operator Roozbeh Farahanipour by representatives of Mayor Eric Garcetti's office, Congressman Ted Lieu's office, California State Insurance Commissioner Dave Jones' office, County Accessor Jeffery Prang's office, City Councilman Paul Koretz's office and state Senator Ben Allen's office. Assemblyman Sebastian Ridley-Thomas upon presenting Farahanipour his special accommodation from the State Assembly, proclaimed he and his family would like to be experiencing Delphi's fine cuisine, "for another thirty years, at least!" State Senator Joel Anderson presented Farahanipour with not one but two separate awards; one for "unyielding commitment to providing quality food, outstanding service, and job opportunities to our community;" and one to Roozbeh himself for his community leadership, "Special recognition of your commitment to bettering our community as president of West Los Angeles Chamber of Commerce and program chair of the Westwood Rotary Club, your unyielding dedication to advocating for the freedom of the Iranian people, and your devotion to empowering others towards civic engagement through leading by example." For his part, the restaurant's owner was overcome by the moment. With a huge grin, and tears in his eyes, Farahanipour said, "I never expected this kind of outpouring of support. When I immigrated to the US, I wanted to be sure that I could add value and be of service to the community at large." This in spite of the fact that the restaurant had already been honored several times by government agencies, no fewer than 17 times by the prestigious Zagat survey, and Farahanipour's wife, noted pastry chef Rana Pourarab has won multiple awards for her amazing cheesecakes and traditional Greek desserts including a Certificate of Recognition from the City of Los Angeles for her work as a Signature Pastry Chef. Celebrities in attendance to help commemorate the evening included filmmaker Armin Nasseri (Seeking Valentina), Actor Scott Engrotti (Scorpion), actresses Vida Ghaffari (the Mindy Project), Jessica Landon (Drake and Josh), Kristin West (Seeking Valentina), Mo Kelly (Hijos), Elise Muller (Baghead), Vikki Lizzi (The Bay) and Patricia Kara (Deal or No Deal), who was especially proud to be there sharing her Greek heritage, along with board members of several local Chambers of Commerce, Rotary Club, BNI, Friends of the Westwood Library, the Westwood Community Council, Local Homeowners Association and the Westwood Neighborhood Council. The anniversary event also featured a blue carpet and ribbon cutting ceremony. The "Hellenic Blue" ribbon was sheared by Farahanipour, and Pourarab, along with the former Mayor of Beverly Hills, the Honorable Jimmy Delshad, Assemblyman Ridley-Thomas, State Senator Anderson, Captain Tina Nieto, Commanding Officer for the West Los Angeles LAPD, Deputy Mayor of Los Angeles, the Honorable Daniel Tamm and Greek Consul General Gregory Karahalios who said "he knew the secret to the restaurant's longevity." "Even though we are in a city that always expands and changes, we need something that is stable," Karahalios said. "This restaurant has maintained the color of Greece." The Council General said Delphi Greek is one of the few places in Southern California to reflect the Hellenic tradition and culture. Patrons Charles Winkler and Ann Tinz said they found the restaurant by accident 30 years ago and have been coming back ever since. The Winkler-Tinz's were among the very first patrons of the restaurant when it opened, and said it was the food, ambiance and service that kept them coming back year after year. Tinz said she feels like it's a little trip to Greece every time the couple visits the restaurant. Of course, the real star of the party was the outstanding food. Guests were treated to authentic Greek menu items: Greek Caviar, Lamb Chops, Chicken Souvlaki, Broiled Shrimp, Dolma (Stuffed Grape Leaves), Spanakopita (Greek spinach pie), Tiropitakia (3 cheese Greek Pie), and a wide assortment of Greek beers and wines. Celebrity Chef (Nia Luna) and food blogger Nicole Guzman's take on the evening: "The food was delicious across the board. From the lamb chops to the shrimp...from the dolmas to the chicken. I can see why this place has withstood the test of time! How rare it is in this day and age that a place like this can endure. You know they must be doing something right! I highly recommend this place if you're ever in the area."