For 14 years, Iranian-born chef Shari Sarabi has welcomed the community to his Healdsburg restaurant, Baci, to celebrate Nowruz, the Persian New Year. The elaborate, multicourse dinners honor an ancient rite of spring, symbolizing the triumph of good over evil and joy over sorrow. It is one of the most sacred holidays on the Persian calendar.
This year, the celebrations carry added weight as war and political unrest once again grip Sarabi’s homeland.
“With the political climate we are under, this is important. The Iranian people are all suffering, and what they want is to live and be safe,” said Sarabi’s wife and business partner, Lisbeth Holmefjord.
Sarabi’s family, like many in the Iranian diaspora, fled after run-ins with the government. He was just 14 when they left the country…