Pages

Wednesday, March 30, 2011

Saffron Patch in Shaker Heights

A big thanks to CLEgal from WhyCLE for writing this guest post after winning my restaurant.com gift certificate Giveaway!

Hi everyone!  It's CLEgal from Why CLE? and I'm happy to have another chance to guest post on Brad's fabulous blog.  Awhile back, I won Brad's contest for a Restaurant.com gift certificate.  I immediately chose the gift certificate from Saffron Patch - I love Indian food.  So, on a rainy cold CLE night, CLEguy, 2 CLEfriends, and I decided to cash in my winnings.


Food
As soon as you walk in the restaurant, you can smell all the delicious Indian spices, so I knew we were in for a treat.  We started with multiple orders of the garlic naan.  Our first order was fluffy and delicious, with just enough garlic bite.  Unfortunately, our second order was burned to the point where all you could taste was the char on the naan.  Aside from the failed execution on order 2, we were happy with the garlic naan and would recommend it to carb-lovers everywhere.
For my entree, I chose the Mango Chicken - tender pieces of chicken served with a mago curry sauce.  You have the choice of spiciness level on all the dishes, from 1 to 5.  I got a 2 and found it pleasantly spicy, although I could have handled more heat.  CLEguy got the Kadahai Karachi, lamb cooked in a wok with ginger and herbs.  He got a level 4 spicy, which worked perfectly with this dish.  All the entrees are also served with a generous portion of saffron rice, which helps to cool the heat.  One of our CLEfriends ordered the lamb chops.  I have to say, as much as I enjoyed my dinner, I was coveting those.  The lamb chops are marinated with ginger-garlic-yogurt sauce and served on a sizzling skillet.  An absolute must-order the next time I go!  Our other CLEfriend chose the chicken biryani, a rice dish with chicken and herbs.  Overall, we all enjoyed our selections and the exotic flavors.  The dishes uniquely combined sweet and spicy flavors to challenge the palate.  Even the spicy dishes weren't the kind of "hot" you get from extreme chicken wings - rather, it was a deep, flavorful spiciness the built slowly.  For the unique and delicious offerings, Saffron Patch gets a 5/5 for food.
Drinks
Saffron Patch had a fairly extensive and interesting mixed drinks menu with some fun and fruity martinis.  We ended up splitting bottles of Malbec, which we quite enjoyed.  However, the beer and wine list is not very extensive or diverse. A 4/5 for drinks.

Atmosphere/Service
Saffron Patch is located in the lower level of an office building at the corner of Warrensville and Chagrin.  Luckily, one of our CLEfriends works in that building; otherwise we may have missed the restaurant entirely!  Also, parking is somewhat limited near the restaurant's entrance.  However, once inside, you completely forgot you were in an office building.  The restaurant is quiet and intimate, with soft lighting and heavy curtains.  The service was pleasant and attentive and added to a nice evening out with friends. A 4.5/5 for atmosphere/service.
Overall
To challenge your palate and be whisked away with Indian flavors, I highly recommend Saffron Patch.  Thanks to Cleveland Food and Brews for helping us have a wonderful evening out and for letting me write about it! A 4.5/5 overall.
Saffron Patch (Shaker Heights) on Urbanspoon

4 comments:

Bite Buff said...

Nice post!

I love Indian, and I'm looking for a place that has a buffet so that I can introduce my boyrfriend to more of their cuisine. Either of you know of any around?

CLEgal @ Why CLE? said...

Thanks! Not sure about the Indian buffet, but if you find one, let me know!

Alicia from Poise in Parma said...

India Garden in Lakewood has a solid Indian buffet. Very tasty food.

Cuisine of India on W 130th in Parma Heights had a buffet when I went there a few years back, but I ordered off the menu, so I can't speak to its offerings.

Sarah Berridge said...

I'm a big fan of The Saffron Patch! I've a got a gift certificate for them that's been burning a hole in my pocket, I must go back soon!

We go for dinner, but a few years ago, we went for lunch and they had a buffet.

ShareThis

Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...