| Saffron 13648 Arnold Drive Glen Ellen 707-938-4844 California-Mediterranean |
Nestled at the edge of downtown Glen Ellen is a small bistro with a not-so-small following. Now beginning its seventh year in business, Chef/Owner Christopher Dever’s restaurant, called Saffron, is a favorite of both locals and passers-through. Its welcoming exterior even includes a covered patio that’s softly illuminated with paper lamps.
The intimate interior is also easy on the eyes, with its yellow ochre-colored (dare I say, saffronesque?) walls, linen-covered tables and soft, wine-colored curtains and accents. The tables are set with tea candles and miniature glass vases with fresh, brightly colored flowers. The dishware is eclectic and colorful, and the music while my friend Brennen and I were there ranged from Louis Armstrong to Buena Vista Social Club to Velvet Underground. The wine list came custom-bound with a soft leather cover, an entirely unique and lovely detail. Inspired by this, I felt immediately compelled to order some J Vineyards Sparkling to start the meal.
We started with a salad, which included local mixed greens, manchego cheese shavings, two kinds of roasted beets and a light, tangy herb vinaigrette. The rich, mellow flavor of the cheese combined well with the beets to complement the tart flavor of the greens. This, paired against the smooth sparkling wine, was delightful. (I even ordered a second glass for the next course—a rarity for me when it comes to sparkling wine.)
Next we ordered the crab crusted crab claw with wasabi aioli. It just sounded way too interesting to pass up. And the presentation was a sight to behold. Three soft shell crab claws, wrapped in a Dungeness crab cake mixture and then lightly fried, were served with claws pointing upright so one could use them to hold onto for dipping. Alongside the claws were dollops of caviar-dusted, mild aioli. Each piece had a rounded bottom with a crisp exterior and lots of meat inside (not over-seasoned, which was nice).
For an entrée, I ordered the seared Ahi with Kalijira rice, tomato-ginger relish and lemon beurre blanc. The presentation was well conceived, with the thick steak placed atop a circle of rice and then surrounded with the beurre blanc. The relish and a drizzle of reduced balsamic vinegar topped the plate. Even better, it tasted as good as it looked. The peppered Ahi was seared perfectly rare, and the rice and beurre blanc had almost a sweet flavor to play against it. The ginger in the relish was subtle, but its flavor came through easily.
Brennen ordered the duck breast with potato risotto, blue lake beans and huckleberry sauce. It was served medium rare and had a sweet edge that was enhanced by the accompanying sauce. The risotto was thick and creamy, and its savory ingredients rounded out the rich dish with a melody of flavor.
For dessert, we shared the apple crisp, a classic treat with a bit of ginger added in, covered in a layer of crisp oats and served in a retro red ’50s Pyrex dish. We also devoured the chocolate bread pudding, which had a brownie-like outer texture and a wonderfully moist center. It was served with vanilla gelato, a sweet raspberry sauce and a square of French Valrhona chocolate on top. I’d never had chocolate bread pudding before, so it was a fun twist on one of my favorite desserts.
