The Little Kitchen-Downtown 1983-1995
Natashas all started with “The Little Kitchen” which was first established in 1983 by husband and wife team, Behshid and Hamishe Bahrami. Neither owner had any prior aspiration of going in to the restaurant business. In 1982, the couple’s first and only child was born and in the same year Behshid was laid off after a sudden downturn in the economy. The family had to choose between waiting out the recession or creating their own destiny. Armed with only a passion for food and drive to succeed, the husband and wife team took the reins and effectively operated “The Little Kitchen” a small mom and pop cafeteria in the heart of Downtown Saint Louis.
Transition - Cafe Natasha in the Making
After 11 successful years catering to the American cuisine the husband and wife team felt restricted at the casual lunch establishment and began searching for a new location to expand their culinary talents into a fine dining setting where they could properly showcase the art of Persian Cuisine. In 1992 they found a perfect vacant store front in an already ethnically diverse business district missing a definitive Persian Flair.
Cafe Natasha- Delmar 1993-2003
Persuaded by the overwhelming support of their loyal customer base, the couple forged forward into the new venture; a fine dining restaurant specializing exclusively in Persian cuisine located on Delmar in the heart of the University City loop.
Named after their only daughter Natasha, Cafe Natasha introduced the intricate flavors of Persian marinades and expertly hand-crafted Kabobs along-side traditional Persian “khoresht” stews from memories of their childhood.
Cafe Natasha’s- South Grand 2001- Present
In 2001, the Bahrami’s opened their third location on Grand South Grand. Originally named “Kabob International” the restaurant was a manifestation of Behshid’s vision to overcome restrictive culinary barriers and expand the predominantly Persian menu to interpretive offerings influenced by Indian, Arabic and Turkish cuisines.
2013 30th Anniversary of Cafe Natasha’s
After 30 years, Cafe Natasha is still family owned and operated.
Currently, Cafe Natasha offers over 50 homemade items from savory Persian Stews, hand-crafted and individually marinated kabobs and innovative fusion items sure to satisfy the cravings of the most adventurous to the hard to please.
“We are incredibly appreciative, humbled, and overwhelmed with love for our family of guests for the 35 years of continued support.”
— Hamishe Bahrami