restaurants

It is a family owned Persian restaurant.

Eggplant spread from Café Vanak. Jonathan Wiggs/Globe Staff

When Conde Nast Traveler asked food experts where travelers should dine, a Massachusetts restaurant made the global list.

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Travel magazine recently published a global map of the world’s top restaurants by people who make a living, including Belmont’s Café Vanak, which opened last year. It’s the only New England restaurant on the menu.

The map of 144 restaurants recommended by chefs, cookbook authors and food show hosts – 79 in North America, 32 in Europe, 14 in Asia, 9 in South America, 6 in Africa and 4 in Oceania – consists of restaurants that ” ranging from street stalls to Michelin stars,” the publication reads.

“In every corner of the world we’ve put a pin on expert-recommended restaurants, with tips on what to order, the atmosphere you’ll find and why those experiences have made such an impression on people who know you -a friendly restaurant, when they see it,” wrote Conde Nast Traveler. “We hope this will make future travel planning easier; it might help you decide where to go next.”

Here’s what Mina Stone, author of Cooking for Artists and owner of Mina’s in Queens, wrote about Café Vanak:

This authentic family owned Persian restaurant is right next door to the absolutely inspiring Persian grocery store of the same owners (and same name). It’s brightly lit with glowing posters of Persian food on the walls, and you’ll usually find the owners’ family and friends happily eating right next to you! I ate chicken kabab (joojeh), grilled tomatoes, saffron rice and a Shirazi salad – all delicious, juicy and perfect.

Mina Stein

Check out the entire Conde Nast Traveler map of restaurants.

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