How do you lose ownership of your namesake restaurant. It happened to Alon Shaya in New Orleans. Shaya, the restaurant was considered by some, the best new restaurant in America in 2015, and Shaya the chef joined the A list of the American culinary world as a result. I still needed some convincing because the last thing I wanted to eat in NOLA was Israeli food. The second last thing happened to be pizza, which meant skipping Shaya’s other place, Domenica after many visits to NOLA. Both, as part of the Besh Restaurant Group at that time, seemed like slam dunks, but for New Yorkers its like eating Indian food in Bologna.
Everything was going smoothly for Alon Shaya, arguably the most successful Israeli chef in the USA today. The Michael Solomonov of the south if you will. Then the Me Too movement happened which shook the food industry. 25 women filed complaints against partner John Besh, and Shaya tried hard to disassociate himself from the group. Shaya wasn’t successful at keeping his namesake, but was able to replace it with two Israeli standouts, Saba (grandpa) in New Orleans, and Safta (grandma) in Denver.
At both Safta and Saba, women play a key role. Shaya gives homage to Israeli grandparents that brought influences from Middle East, Europe and North Africa. EatWithSaba and EatWithSafta are the social media handles and websites (hence the title), even though you are surrounded by the usual under 30 crowd, and there’s no gefilte fish in sight. Shaya is back on track. Right? Well, there are some groups out there pushing to rename “father”, “mother” into something more inclusive. “Just when I thought I was out, they pull me back in!”
Talking about inclusive, coincidentally there’s a growing movement in Denver called “Judaism Your Way” which is pretty much what the name suggests. A do whatever the f#%k you want Jewish community that is reimagined, inclusive, and beyond reformed really. Instead of Bar or Bat Mitsvah, they offer a gender inclusive Be Mitzvah. You want to end your Yom Kippur fast at noon, no worries, we even offer water if needed at the services. Heck bring a Porchetta sandwich if you absolutely need. But since “exclusive” is not part of their dictionary, this is not the type that would cancel grandma.
“Here’s an idea, Ziggy. Maybe stick to food?”. Ok Ok! Safta’s strength is well documented, and in fact written all over the entrance in huge letters. “Pita + Hummus”. The pita and hummus is straight out of the Michael Solomonov (Zahav/Dizengoff) Israeli food for dummies playbook. Or is it the other way around. The pita here is a little crispier (perhaps reheated) but just as good as what you get in Philly. The hummus with lamb ragu was like a Hava Nagila in your mouth – the wedding version. Though much of the flavor came from the well crafted ragu.
You can even add “+ Falafel” to the wall. Golden crispy exterior, and creamier than your usual green interior. The Salatim (small, mezze like salads) is another thing from the Solomonov playbook, and every single one we tried was spot on. The Lutenitsa especially stood out, but I wouldnt skip the smoky Baba and the peppery Muhammara. You can have a satisfying meal with simply the dishes I mentioned so far.
Sometimes, when everything goes well in a highly acclaimed place, your get on a food high. Thats when any faults that follow become unnoticed, forgivable, or become apparent later. While the lamb shank’s flavor was spot on, the meat was a bit dry. For $44 thats a no-no. The duck confit tagine was fine, but again, on the dry side, and wont win any Tagine competitions. Harissa chicken was probably the best main, though not particularly exciting to New Yorkers, including in the looks dep’t. If you order more than one main, might as well add the Persian rice that can compliment just about all.
Desserts did not produce anything noteworthy. Although the lone dessert we didnt try, the Knafeh, may very well be the one to get. We just eat plenty of Knafeh back at home. The space is attractive, comfortable, and the drinks were well balanced. Safta is a solid B. And while the execution of the mains can use some work, I can see myself becoming a regular if I lived in Denver
Eating With Ziggy 