Safran… your address for Persian goodness!
Once again, despite the beautiful fall weather we’ve been enjoying here in southern Germany, Bill and I were tempted to stay in and vegetate today. I think it’s because very soon, we will be very busy moving and that’s always a drag. I didn’t really want to waste today, though, because very soon we’ll be living in another German state and another German city. And there are still some restaurants I want to try before it becomes too difficult.
We decided to have lunch at Safran. Safran is located near Berliner Platz in downtown Stuttgart, not far at all from the Liederhalle. I had heard a lot of good things about this little Persian restaurant and I’ve been trying to get there for months. We finally decided today was the day and boy, am I glad we went. I’m also a little sad that we didn’t go there sooner. Safran is a great change of pace for those who are tired of the usual Greek, Italian, and German offerings one tends to find in these parts.
Spotted on a pole before we crossed the street. “There are more bisexuals than you think…” Good to know!
This painted building is very close to Safran. If you see it, look across the street and you’ll see Safran on the corner.
Inside the restaurant, they have lots of goldfish. These fish were fed at the same time we were…
On Sundays, Safran opens at 2:00pm. We were the first ones in the restaurant and the very friendly barkeep enthusiastically invited us to sit anywhere we wanted to. We chose a comfortable booth in the dining room. Another American couple soon came in and sat down at a table on the other side of the room. Other than the four of us, the place was empty at 2:00pm.
The bartender came over and asked us in German if this was our first visit. We said it was, so he explained the menu. There are selections from the grill, as well as special Persian dishes from the motherland. They have dishes with lamb, chicken, beef, and vegetarian selections. There’s also a modest selection of alcohol, as well as the usual non-alcoholic drinks.
Bill checks out what’s offered. They have cold and warm appetizers, as well as salads to go with your grilled delights.
Bill asked for a bottle of sparkling water and a bottle of Shiraz. They brought us the water and just one glass of wine, which Bill decided I should have. Did I tell you I married an angel? I did.
The bartender’s very beautiful blue eyes lit up when I ordered the Fesenjan, which is delicious grilled chicken served with a sauce made with walnuts, pomegranate molasses, and onion, topped with rice. Bill tried to make this once, but he’d never actually had it, so his version kind of missed the mark. This was absolutely delicious! I loved the platter it came in, too. My mom has a brass table like it that she passed on to me. It’s sitting in storage.
Bill had the Tschelo Kabab Soltani, which was two kebabs. One was made of ground of veal and the other was lamb. He got it with grilled vegetables, which did include a mushroom, and a side of musir dip, which was kind of like t’zatziki without the cucumber. He liked his dish, but liked mine even more.
As we were enjoying lunch, I was paying close attention to the beautiful piano music that was playing. It reminded me of Seattle born new aged pianist, David Lanz. I did a Sound Hound search and discovered an Iranian pianist named Fereydoon Foroughi. Wikipedia tells me Mr. Foroughi left this life in 2001. I’m sorry he died at age 50. He was quite gifted. I may have to buy a couple of his albums.
New music I discovered at Safran. The whole time we were there, beautiful piano music was playing. I can only guess it was all by Iranian musicians.
Total damage for this lunch was about 44 euros. I would say it was well worth it. I would love to go back sometime. I enjoyed the delicious food, the warm hospitality, and even the glass of Australian Shiraz. If you’re looking for something a little different, I definitely recommend Safran.