Saffron: New Indy Restaurant Review

This past weekend I was finally able to go to a new Indy restaurant that I’ve been dying to try – Saffron Cafe, located at 621 Fort Wayne Ave. The Moroccan joint was recently featured in Indianapolis Monthly as one of the city’s Best New Restaurants – and they weren’t kiddin’.

The ambiance was absolutely perfect – Moroccan-inspired, but not over-the-top like some similar restaurants. It was very tasteful, but colorful and appropriate. Soon the restaurant will be opening their outdoor dining area, which looks incredibly charming. Surrounded by the same colorful tiles found inside the restaurant and enclosed by clean, white lilies, it’s sure to be a feast for all of your senses.

My mom and I ordered the mussels to start and a lamb Tajine for our entrée. The mussels, which were smothered in a creamy, saffron sauce, were a bit small and paled in comparison to the rich sauce, but it was still a very enjoyable dish that we happily sopped up with generous helpings of bread. According to the staff, Tajines are traditional Moroccan stews, slow cooked in decorative ceramic pots for which they are named. You’ll have to forgive my simple, country tastes, but the dish reminded me of my mother’s pot roast – but I say this with the greatest affection. The tender meat just fell apart in the broth, which was flavored with eggplant, saffron and pickled lemon. The comforting familiarity of the dish was like coming home, but in a slightly different way, with hints of exotic, unknown flavors.

But the best part of our Saffron experience was the Chef. Moroccan-born Anass Sentissi made a point to visit every table, reveling in discussion over his creations. He openly shared recipes, including ingredients and his preparation techniques. He held nothing back. As my mom put it, “when he speaks about the food you can see how passionate he is – I can tell he really loves it and I like that.” I like that too, Mom.