Chef Alon Shaya is a busy man. In March, he and his wife, Emily, are set to open Safta’s Table, an all-day Mediterranean café located at 129 Allen Toussaint Blvd. in the Lakeview neighborhood of New Orleans. That’s on top of his current restaurant, Saba in Uptown New Orleans, the best Israeli restaurant in the city, and Miss River, which serves Cajun and Creole dishes at the Four Seasons Hotel in Downtown New Orleans. Then there’s Ceci! Italian Lounge, about to open at The Source Hotel in Denver — all this when he’s not winning James Beard Awards or writing cookbooks (he has one coming out in October).
When I caught up with him to ask about Safta’s Table, he was in the carpool line at his child’s school.
“When we approach opening a restaurant, we like to tell a story,” he told me. “What means something to us that we want to share?” Safta is the Hebrew word for “grandmother,” and Safta’s Table is his way of sharing his grandmother’s recipes and the food that he grew up with. Before his grandmother passed away, he spent a lot of time cooking with her and writing down her recipes. “I’ve held those recipes very close to my heart,” he said.
When he and Emily began developing Safta’s Table, they knew they wanted the restaurant to be a gathering place for families in Lakeview. “It’s a place people can come by any time and get some really delicious food. We wanted it to be healthy and comforting, and we wanted to serve food that really appeals to everyone, from young kids to adults.”
Among the menu items that Chef Alon is excited to share include slow-cooked lamb and chicken schnitzel, and falafel offered in either a sandwich format or as a platter. “We’ve got a lot of really great sides to go with all the different proteins we serve: things like a beautiful jasmine rice and fresh salads. The dips and spreads are made with roasted peppers and eggplant. There’s hummus, of course, and fire-baked sourdough pita bread.”
He is particularly eager to share a meatball dish cooked in tomato sauce. “I think the whole family is going to really love it,” he said. Chef Alon said he’s emphasizing local ingredients that are sustainably grown and raised. “We have the chance to use these really incredible local products, prepared with a chef’s touch and a grandmother’s soul.”
Safta’s Table will be an all-day restaurant, breakfast through dinner, and even feature a fully stocked “Safta’s Fridge,” which he described as “a really great take-and-bake retail section. People can load up their fridge and grab dinner for the week.” They will also be offering catering for events. “We hope that people really think of us as a place that can do all the hard work for parties and other get-togethers.”
Saba (which means “grandfather” in Hebrew), on Magazine Street, was one of a handful of restaurants in New Orleans to be awarded the Michelin Guide’s “Bib Gourmand” award, which is similar to the famed Michelin Star, but for affordable restaurants. “It was a great honor, a very prestigious accolade from Michelin,” he told me. “What it translates to is really great food at a really great value — and exactly what we’re focusing on at Safta’s Table. We want people to feel like they’re getting their money’s worth, and that they’re getting something that’s super delicious and healthy — something that they want to come back for.”
