Tehrangeles Persian Los Angeles in Westwood

Tehrangeles (a portmanteau of Tehran and Los Angeles) is the largest Persian-American community outside Iran, centered on Westwood Boulevard between Wilshire and Pico Boulevards in Los Angeles, California. The community formed following the 1979 Iranian Revolution, when hundreds of thousands of Iranians, disproportionately Persian Jews, along with political exiles and professionals, fled the Islamic Republic and settled in the Los Angeles area^[1]. By the 1980s, Westwood Village became the commercial and cultural heart of this diaspora, with Persian-language signage, teahouses, and restaurants lining the boulevard.

Westwood Boulevard serves as the community’s primary cultural axis. Key institutions include Saffron and Rose Ice Cream (founded 1982), known for saffron, rosewater, and pistachio flavors; Shamshiri Grill (established 1978), a landmark for kebabs and tahdig; Shaherzad (opened 1984), a traditional Persian restaurant; Attari Sandwich Shop, serving Iranian-style sandwiches on barbari bread; and Wholesome Choice, a Tehran-style market offering bulk spices, dried limes, fresh lavash, and Persian pantry staples.

The Persian Jewish community, a distinct subgroup within Tehrangeles, is concentrated in Beverly Hills and the Pico-Robertson neighborhood. Their diaspora cuisine preserves pre-Revolutionary Persian-Jewish traditions, such as khoresht-e bademjan (eggplant stew) with kosher meat, gondi (chickpea-meatball soup), and zereshk polo (barberry rice), often prepared under Chalav Yisrael supervision. This cuisine is separate from the broader Persian-American culinary scene, which includes halal-friendly Tehran-style dishes like dizi (lamb and chickpea stew) and joojeh kabab (saffron chicken skewers).

Tehrangeles hosts annual Nowruz (Persian New Year) public celebrations in Westwood, featuring the haft-sin table, live music, and traditional dances. The community distinguishes itself from other Persian diasporas, such as those in Toronto, Houston, and New York City, by its sheer size, concentration, and the preservation of pre-1979 Iranian culture. Dietary options span Persian, Persian-Jewish, and halal-friendly Tehran-style cuisines, reflecting the community’s religious and ethnic diversity.

^[1] Bozorgmehr, Mehdi. “Internal Ethnicity: Iranians in Los Angeles.” Sociological Perspectives, vol. 40, no. 3, 1997, pp. 387–408.