Linda Falkenstein
In February, Laila Borokhim closed Layla’s Persian Restaurant after five years on South Butler Street. Her other restaurants, Noosh on Regent Street and the Madison Labor Temple bar on South Park Street, kept her busy, but she found herself missing her old restaurant — and the Persian food.
“I’m comfortable cooking that kind of food, I love that kind of food,” she says. “I was like, ‘God, I wish I was open again so I could eat there.'’’
She scoped out possible locations on Williamson and South Park Street. When Burgrito’s on Monroe Street closed in November, she found the perfect fit. The new restaurant, Joon, is on track to open Jan. 1. Borokhim is planning a New Year’s Day brunch for the grand opening, possibly followed by a light dinner, and is considering doing pop-ups inside the restaurant during December. Joon means “life” in Farsi, the language of Iran, and is also a term of endearment. The menu will be similar to what Borokhim offered at Layla’s, but the larger space will allow for more variety.
“My smaller space downtown wasn’t working,” she says. “This is my grownup restaurant.”
There will be vegetarian and vegan options at Joon, but Borokhim is particularly excited about offering kebabs, a Persian staple that she struggled to make at her own space due to poor ventilation. The former Burgrito’s kitchen setup came with a char grill, which is ideal for the new restaurant, but the aesthetics will get an overhaul. The ordering counter will be removed to allow for table service, and the “neon-vomit green” walls will get a fresh coat of paint and Persian wall hangings from Borokhim’s father’s rug store, just a few storefronts away.
As she prepares to open Joon, Borokhim is winding down at the Madison Labor Temple bar. Her Dec. 22 farewell kicks off with brunch at 10 a.m., and she’s hoping to go through the last of her inventory by the end of the day. There will be drink specials: $4.50 rails and $6.50 top-shelf drinks. Proceeds from drink sales will benefit one of her friends, a single mom who’s battling cancer.
Borokhim revamped the Labor Temple’s traditional bar menu over the last year, drawing a new crowd for her non-traditional Friday fish fry and Saturday lamb roasts. She was initially excited about partnering with the progressive labor organization, but she says her restaurant concept wasn’t a good fit for the space. “I’m really not a bar person,” she says.
The Labor Temple staff did not return multiple requests for comment.
