Alon Shaya has gotten a whole lot of awards and attention for cooking up his take on Middle Eastern fare in New Orleans, and soon Denver will get a taste. Shaya is opening Safta (Hebrew for “grandmother”) at .
“We chose Denver and Colorado most of all because we love spending time there. We have built such great relationships with people throughout the community already, and it seems like just the beginning. I know what a great quality of life Denver has to offer and I enjoy the sense of optimism I get from many people we have met there. We’re ready to embed ourselves into the community and be a part of something greater than just a restaurant,” Shaya said.
Safta will be similar to Shaya’s namesake restaurant, the John Besh Restaurant Group-owned , which won the James Beard Award for best new restaurant in America in 2016, in that it will feature what he describes as modern Israeli cuisine.
Shaya was dismissed from that restaurant last year. Shaya stated he was fired for speaking out on behalf of Besh Restaurant employees who said they were victims of sexual harassment at the restaurants. Shaya is currently in a court battle with BRG Hospitality Group (the group dropped Besh’s name) over Shaya’s rights to the restaurant.
Safta will feature dishes like creamy hummus with harissa and lamb ragu and char-roasted cabbage with a hazelnut and roasted pepper muhammara on the menu, along with cocktails, beer, cider and wine. Dive into that muhammara later this spring, when Safta is expected to open.
Safta: 3330 Brighton Blvd, Denver (); opening late Spring
