A Trip to Yas Bakery

It’s been almost four years since we have seen our friends. The last time was New Year’s Eve 2019. Right after that my mom passed away in February, my husband had cataract surgery in February/March, and then came the pandemic that ruined everyone’s lives for so many ways. We kept in touch all that time, but we are just now beginning to reconnect physically with people again. And it feels good to be “normal” again. So we are looking forward to visiting with our friends this evening. But before we go we always bring treats from Yas Persian Bakery in Vienna. I was on the lookout for something unique as well as something delicious. So we started out with Sadaf special blend tea with cardamom. And of course, Persian saffron pistachios. For sweets, we picked out a variety of baklava. And then we would put them on a pretty little silver tray with an ornate design. But for a whimsical item, we couldn’t go wrong with the camel thorn water. Don’t ask me what it is or what you use it for. I just liked the bottle, the name, and the label. So, what they might think is a wine bottle it is not! The little tray was filled with baklava and ribbons were tied around it and the other items ended up in a bag with a Christmas tree design. I love going to Yas for treats. And this year it’s even more special. 

Yas Bakery Cookies

There is a lovely Persian bakery in Vienna called Yas. We found it several years ago when we lived on Capitol Hill. It has some wonderful treats and other goodies that we oftentimes stop by to pick up when we are in the mood. My husband loves the vibe and the jellies and the pistachios and some particular cookies. We have also found some unusual Christmas and other gifts there when the occasion arises. We recently picked up some tea and pistachios for an after dinner visit with our neighbors that we just met. Last weekend our grandson and his mom were going to be passing through town on the way back from New York where he spent the summer giving white water rapid tours on the Hudson River. He was on his way back to college at UVA. They first stopped to visit her parents in Baltimore and we were next on the map. So before they arrived we took a ride to Yas Bakery and picked up baklava and some Persian cookies - enough for both to take home and school and share with our son. First we went out for a late lunch and then shared the treats before they left. It’s always so nice to have these delectables around. It’s also a great reminder of my husband’s background. We really appreciate having the bakery nearby - especially for times like this. 

Yas Persian Treats

It’s been a while. But my husband was running out of sugar cubes so we needed to take a ride to Yas Bakery in Vienna. We can no longer find sugar cubes in the grocery store, so this is our go to place not only for the sugar, but also for the desserts and other treats. Yas is a Persian grocery/bakery that we found even in Vienna even before we moved to northern Virginia. We would often times take a ride there from Capitol Hill to get cookies and treats for friends and family - and ourselves. There are also interesting tea cups and other notable items that we have made in to Christmas and graduation gifts. It’s a bit unique and we enjoy looking. So today we found a bunch of small cucumbers, saffron pistachios, a cookie/cake item my husband likes with tea, the broken up uneven sugar cubes, and some Persian tea. The tea has the name of our niece Sahar and the sugar cubes have the name of some family members Golchin. I also like going to this place because it reminds my husband of where he came from. Now it is a lot closer to home and there is no excuse not to go. This time we had a good reason. 

Yas Bakery Thanksgiving Treats

We usually host Thanksgiving with my siblings. But we weren’t able to do that last year for obvious reasons. This year, my husband has had some medical issues for the last two months and one of my siblings is not vaccinated. So, we weren’t in any hurry to cook this year. Luckily for us, we got an invitation to visit our family in central Virginia. Their usual Thanksgiving plans also changed this year because of college aged kids that are spread out everywhere making it too difficult to travel to the Maryland shore. We are definitely looking forward to a change of scenery because we haven’t been anywhere since our grandson’s graduation in May. So we went to Yas after our morning walk this morning to pick up some treats to take along with us. Yas is a Persian bakery and grocery in Vienna and they have a wonderful selection. We also got pistachios and jellies and other things, but the bakery is the best. Luckily for us we will get to feast on some of it too! Maybe a new tradition is starting? 

Yas Bakery Goodies and Tea Cups for Graduation

Last week today we were en route to our grandson’s high school graduation. It’s been 18 months since we saw our family who now live in central Virginia. We all used to live on Capitol Hill for several years. While I worked at the Library of Congress, my husband babysat and ferried our grandson around. So we had a great opportunity to know him well. So we always stop at Yas Bakery the day before we leave and stock up on treats before we visit. This time we wanted to get something special as a token of the big event. So we got a huge box of cookies, a few different spices, candies, flat bread, pistachios, sour cherry jelly, saffron, and some sour relish. Then I noticed some really pretty tea cups with silver rims that looked like larger versions of cups my husband has from Iran. What freshman college student wouldn’t love a set of these? It was really the thought of it that was inspiring - not very practical - but one never knows. Our grandson still surprises us, so we thought we would surprise him too. So I wrapped the glasses up and put a copy of the life sketches painting on the top under the bow. It was a unique gift - and he really liked it. 

Yas Bakery and Supermarket

It’s been over a year since we visited Yas Bakery and Grocery store in Vienna. We would routinely go there for my husband’s favorite relish and tart cherry jelly. But we were also running out of bread so it was another reason to make a trip. So it was with a great deal of joy that we actually went in to a store to buy something. We haven’t done that very much either since we usually do pick up groceries and restaurant food. So we picked up his favorite torshi, jelly, cookies, and very long bread. The storekeepers remembered us and one of them said she would be getting a vaccine the next day. How things have changed in a year. There is plexiglass everywhere and social distancing signs abound. It is a small place so it gets a bit hard to navigate and stay away from the next person. Unfortunately we think my husband lost his winter hat in the parking lot, but we were unable to locate it a few days later. Anyway, we realized the long flat bread there is absolutely delicious and will add that to the usual items we go there for. So another activity we had before we did again. It still felt weird. 

Yas Bakery and Supermarket Visit

We haven’t been to Yas Bakery and supermarket since September. We went to pick up some cookies and jelly for my sister in law’s birthday. We like to go there to get Persian treats - especially when we are on the way to visit family. My husband likes the vegetable/relish eggplant sauce. Today we wanted to get some small, very fresh, cucumbers. but while we were there a couple of other items got our attention. My husband likes the Sadaf brand, and picked up some pomegranate juice. And his sour cherry jelly supply was running low. Of course, the cookies are always replenished. They are always excellent with tea after dinner. Since last year I’ve been thinking about a Christmas gift for some friends of ours that I’ve had my eye on. They are tea cups with silver holders with a matching sugar bowl. I’m really looking forward to giving this special gift to our friends. They always make a big deal over my husband’s background and show so much interest in his country of origin. And the timing was good today to get a head start on holiday shopping. We discovered Yas several years ago and now live much closer to it since we moved from DC seven months ago. It feels like we know the shopkeepers well. They are always so kind and helpful. 

Yas Bakery and Supermarket in Vienna

We have been near this place many times, but didn't see it until today. We went to lunch in Vienna, Virginia and tucked away off the Main Street was a little establishment called Yas. I immediately recognized the Persian script and told my husband we should stop by after lunch and check it out. So we did. When we lived in Milwaukee, we visited Chicago all the time and occasionally stopped in to the ethnic grocery stores on Clark Street, after we went to Reza's for lunch or dinner. Since we moved to DC, we visit the grocery store in Rockville after lunch or dinner in Yekta. Now there is another option for us. So we stocked up on some bread, postachios, dates, canned stew, several spices, and lovely desserts - perfect with tea! Yas has been there for six years, and it had several customers coming and going while we were there. There was a guy making fresh bread in the back. So if you are ever in the mood for some Iranian delicacies and treats, this is a place to visit. How about a donut peach?!