This review is a LONG time coming.
Liza and I had a date at Saffron a couple of months ago. She had never been and it had been a long time since I had dined there. It was well before Sameh Wadi went head to head with Morimoto on Iron Chef. It was time to go back and see what all the fuss was about.
Atmosphere:
I like the space at Saffron a lot. It gets a lot of natural light and the mediterranean vibe definitely comes through. Dark woods and rich colored walls and linens made it very cozy. It wasn’t noisy at all, but I think a lot of that was because it wasn’t very busy. We were there on a weeknight, but I still was surprised at the lack of patrons. I would say it was half full at best.
Service:
Our server was nice and very cordial, but I didn’t find him overly attentive at all. He gave us some tips and suggestions on the menu, but there were a few times we were looking for him because we desperately needed wanted more hummus. It was a bit surprising since it wasn’t busy, but it wasn’t a deal breaker by any means. We just really wanted that hummus!
Food:
The food at Saffron is all about the mediterranean. You can find small plates and appetizers for sharing along with entree sized meals.
We had some hits, but we also had some misses. Since it has been awhile since we actually dined there and I did not write anything down (FAIL), my descriptions are going to be as close to correct as possible.
We both loved their hummus (did I mention that?), the baba ganoush and of course, the olives.
Another win was their spring gazpacho. Edamame, creme fraiche, olive oil, peas, mint and plums. Pretty tasty.
I loved the dill-spiked giant white beans. The chicken skewers were just okay. Definitely not Iron Chef.
Our big loser for the night was probably the one we were most excited about. An asparagus salad with a savory panna cotta and a soft-boiled egg. I can be talked into most things with a runny egg, but this just didn’t work. The main problem was that it was ice cold! This was completely unexpected so it threw us for a loop. After that, it just never came together for me.
Dessert was a very solid ending. A chocolate ganache cake with an olive oil ice cream and salted caramel. We didn’t leave a speck on the plate. Granted we are both dessert motivated….
Overall, I enjoyed Saffron and would happily go back. I think it’s priced right, the vibe fits a number of occasions and there were more hits than misses on the menu. Plus, the chef went up against Morimoto. That’s a big deal.
It was a great place to catch up with a dear friend. Pass the hummus!
