NEW ORLEANS – Pomegranate Hospitality, a new restaurant group launched by James Beard Award-winning chef Alon Shaya, has announced its first restaurant in New Orleans: Saba.
Meaning "grandfather" in Hebrew, Saba will open in uptown New Orleans this spring, reflecting chef Shaya's heritage which pays homage to the culinary landscape of Israel.
The group will also open Safta this spring in Denver, Colorado.
With influences that stem from the Middle East, Europe and North Africa, Saba will reflect a collection of moments where food and culture have crossed paths, offering a taste of this ever-evolving cuisine.
Wood-fired pita bread baked steps from the table will soak up the flavors of Bulgaria, Yemen, Syria, Morocco, Turkey, Palestine and Greece. Chef de Cuisine Cara Peterson will source seafood, meats and produce from local farms and nearby waters around New Orleans, guiding them over hot coals to family-style platters on the table.
“All of us at Pomegranate Hospitality are beyond excited to get the doors open at Saba in New Orleans. This restaurant will serve as our community center, where we can engage with our beloved team members, our hungry guests, and continue to support the causes that make our community stronger," says Shaya.
Pomegranate Hospitality's Safta will be located inside the forthcoming Source Hotel in the city's RiNo (River North) Arts District in Denver.
Meaning "grandmother" in Hebrew, Safta also pays homage to Alon’s deep cultural roots. Safta will offer freshly-baked hot pita from a wood burning oven, signature hummus topped with everything from tahini to lamb and combine the flavors of Morocco, Lebanon, Syria, Bulgaria and Turkey.
The restaurant will highlight vegetables from local farms along with craft cocktails, beer, cider and wine.
"My wife Emily and I love traveling to Colorado, enjoying the outdoors and the beautiful mountains," said Shaya. "We've admired the way Zeppelin Development has created a community focus with their array of mix-use projects in Denver, and have decided to join forces by opening a restaurant inside one of their most exciting new projects: The Source Hotel."
Pomegranate Hospitality's name was chosen as a metaphor to Shaya's culinary journey.
"Throughout history, the pomegranate has been a symbol of fruitfulness and goodness in many different cultures around the world. It’s made up of hundreds of beautiful seeds, filled with life, all of which contribute equally to the ability of the plant, as a whole, to survive and prosper. I have always felt a connection to the pomegranate as a cook, but I also believe in it as a metaphor: I like what it stands for. Like a pomegranate, I can choose to be a part of something that will blossom into abundance, beyond the promise of each individual seed. Pomegranate Hospitality seeks to embody and uphold this philosophy—it will be the very measure of our success," he said.
He added that Pomegranate Hospitality's home base will remain in New Orleans.
In his free time, Shaya has begun the Shaya Barnett Foundation to help high schools build better teaching kitchens and will release his debut cookbook entitled, Shaya: An Odyssey of Food, My Journey Back to Israel in March 2018,
