Sweet and savory is the name of the game in Morocco, evoking thoughts of lush fabric textures in jewel tones draping across interiors of distinct architecture. Morocco is a cultural crossroads and that’s reflected in its food with identifiable elements of Iberian, Mediterranean, North African Jewish, and Berber cuisine.  Chef Anas Sentissi channels that storied culture and tradition through his use of exotic spices at Saffron Café in downtown Indianapolis.

Chef Sentissi honors the timeless techniques and flavors of his home country while still keeping in mind modern necessities, like gluten-free and vegan offerings, on his menu. All ingredients are fresh, organic, and locally-sourced, whenever possible. Saffron’s decor is warm, intimate, and inviting with an enclosed patio that is perfect for enjoying a glass of house wine, imported from Morocco, on a rainy afternoon.

Like in the bistilla, most Moroccan cuisine draws from the extreme ends of the sweet and savory worlds. Expect ingredients not typically sharing a dish like cinnamon, cumin, turmeric, ginger, powdered sugar, paprika, and saffron to be mixed in with raisins, vermicelli, garlic, couscous, almonds, and lots and lots of olive oil.

Chef Sentissi owns and operates Saffron Café a successful restaurant on Ft Wayne Avenue, but he also offers the services of his Poccadio Moroccan Grill food truck at various locations around the city.

He is so passionate about health and showing patrons how fantastic healthy food can taste, aside from eating his creations at the food truck or restaurant Chef Sentissi will teach you how to cook with saffron during one of his exclusive cooking classes at Saffron Cafe!

If you missed the segment on IN the Loop about Saffron Cafe check out the video below. And don’t forget to watch me, Erica Stikeleather every Sunday night at 11:30 on WISH TV 8. Keeping you IN the Loop of everything that is Indianapolis.