Saffron - A Taste of the Exotic

Saffron - A Taste of the Exotic Our goal is to bring culinary diversity to Saugeen Shores - a place to sample foods from around the globe in a non-intimidating setting! Come in and sample it!

Don't know what something is? - just ask! We are passionate about food and would love to explain to you what certain ingredients are and how we prepare meals. We also aim to create food that suits different dietary needs/choices. While we have hearty meat dishes that carnivores will salivate over (we roast our pork and beef all day!), we offer several mouthwatering cuisines for vegetarians, vegans, the lactose intolerant and the gluten-intolerant. Our menu is broad and we focus on changing features. In terms of breakfast, we offer comfort-food with a global twist. We have a gorgeous outdoor patio that we open in the late spring. It is shaded from the sun, private and comfortable. We hope to see you soon!

08/23/2023

Hi all! A few notes (and some appreciation!) are in store! ❤️

Firstly, we're looking for a dishwasher to start on September 6 since our precious Thomas has decided to head off to college and learn stuff. Fine, leave us then! (Just kidding, we love you, and wish you all the best, kid! Come back and visit, okay? We kind of got used to you).

DISHWASHING JOB PERKS; SOME PRACTICAL, SOME PHILOSOPHICAL IN NATURE:

-you get the same shifts every week: Wednesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday from 3:30-8:30ish, and Sunday from 10:00-1:30ish (ideal role for a high school student!; very rarely are you done past 8:30 - more time for video games! Er, I mean homework...)
-you get time off around Christmas and never have to work a holiday Monday
-you get free food (PARENTS, TAKE NOTE: YOU MAY GET LEFTOVERS!)
-you always have really clean hands, and get to play with soap suds
-you get your own pit in the kitchen where you can consider life's deepest questions, sometimes resulting in moments of revelation; for the most part we don't bother you (and as long as one ear is free, you can listen to whichever Swedish death metal band you desire if it helps you get the job done - air guitar to your heart's content)
-you get cash tips at the end of each week
-you work with the same people every day (this could be a bad thing, but at least it's predictable!)

You don't even have to bother printing a resume - just pop in and introduce yourself and I'll interview you on the spot - the sole interview question will be: "do you want to work here doing dishes?" If you answer yes, you will probably get the job! Ding, ding, ding! WINNER, GAGNANT(E)! (These are the times, people. These are the times. The struggles with staffing in the service industry are real - extend extra patience to those who have showed up!) Anyhow, if anyone reading this knows an impressionable young person who needs a job, send them our way! ❤️ UPDATE: After only one hour, we have someone for the job! Thank you :)

Secondly, we have a new website (same domain!) It's much more mobile-friendly. Some people are still seeing the old one because of cache/cookies issues, so I am keeping it updated with our features until it officially goes defunct on August 31 (this is the result of a classic corporate buyout in the tech world - never ceases to entertain, does it?!) By then, remaining domain issues should all be resolved and everyone will just see the new website (in the meantime, we kindly ask for you to bare with us while Google catches up). Anyhow, after 11 years, a new site is welcome! We hope you enjoy it. We are very happy with it.

Thirdly, thank you so much for our busiest summer ever! We really have been running off our feet, but your steadfast support always carries us. You are all the BEST! Jeni, our line cook/afternoon prepper, has been integral to our functioning. Thanks, girl!!!

One day a while back Dev asked me "what's that crunch?" with a dour, I-just-failed look on her face. I approached with caution, because after all these years I've learned not to mess with Dev's perfectionist standards. "I don't know what you mean... what crunch?" I chirped, using my charming naivety to soothe her. I took a bite and chewed the cake in question; methodically, my jaw moving side-to-side like a lazy bovine. Nothing seemed out of the ordinary, until it happened: a pleasing pop between my teeth, followed by an earthy burst of mustard, immediately transporting me to a hot dog vendor outside of Union Station on a sweltering summer day. Dev's face turned white, and she covered her eyes with her hands. "Oh no. They're black mustard seeds. I put black mustard seeds in the lemon cake instead of poppy seeds. The bags were right beside each other on the shelf!" And this, my friends, is why you never saw lemon poppy seed cake show up on our menu recently.

To all the service industry folks reading this - we're almost through the summer! You can do it!

Much love to all of you, okay? Thank you!

Until next time,

Jenn xoxoxo

Hi hi hi hi! Guess what - tomorrow is the day we re-open for diners! Preparing for dine-in service has almost been lik...
05/31/2022

Hi hi hi hi! Guess what - tomorrow is the day we re-open for diners!

Preparing for dine-in service has almost been like starting a new business with all the cleaning, organizing, restocking and fixing that was required! It indeed feels like a rejuvenation of sorts, and it's very fitting because it was exactly ten years ago that we first meandered through this building as nervous kids hoping to start a new business. I could write a ten-volume memoir on my experiences running Saffron since then. I haven't the brain function to string together many adjectives at this particular moment, but I wish to nevertheless share some exciting updates with you!

-The indoor dining area no longer resembles a flea market! Long gone are the cases of stinky fish sauce, containers of curry paste, heavy dumbbells, dough-crusted shoes and heaping bags of rice. Actual human beings can now sit there again!

-We've had the water shut off to one customer washroom for the better part of two years, but TWO brand new toilets were installed last week - water no longer sprays from the tank when used! Can you imagine the luxury!? (Thank you to Jeni's papa who did this tedious work for us - he is a handy man extraordinaire!)

-A dear friend, Debb, has been working her magic to prepare our back patio, wearing her adorable denim overalls while boogying to worldly beats. I cannot possibly express my gratitude for what she has done - she has touched every surface with her whimsy and creativity; indeed a myriad of fairy tale additions! She has added logs and pieces of driftwood that are straight out of an abstract painting. There are repurposed ladders and smooth rocks and squiggly sticks and a bunch of handmade signs celebrating our most beloved ingredients: spices. She has pinned things up and torn things down; dug up dirt and dirtied her shirt. There are splashes of red, new lines and angles, a new garden bed, and a thing that dangles! I can't wait for you to be able to enjoy this relaxing space with only chirping birds, sizzling onions and our occasional burn-induced cuss word as the featured sounds of your dining experience. Perfection!

-We found ourselves in need of a new coffee supplier, and were absolutely thrilled to ask long-time supporters for help! Often feeding their entire staff our Sunday breakfast, yes, we will now be proudly serving Rabbit Dash/Dizzy Bird coffee! They made a special balanced blend just for us! It has a syrupy, nutty hazelnut fragrance, and a bright aftertaste. Our staff devoured our samples - we tried the coffee black, with cream, with milk, with sugar, with sweetener and even piled high with whipped cream and a ridiculous amount of Dev's homemade caramel sauce. It was all amazing! (We didn't even regret that it made our teenage staff bounce around afterward, poking their elbows into our kidneys while they rolled out naan dough).

-We are still going to focus on our thriving take-out business despite also returning to dine-in service. Have no fears, the system we implemented at the beginning of the pandemic has been our most efficient yet, and we plan to keep it! So yes, go ahead and call any time after 1:30 to place your dinner order in advance - we will still be doing pick-up intervals five minutes apart. All reservations will be put on the back patio this summer, and we will be keeping the indoor space free in case it rains (or in case someone who reserved prefers to sit indoors). We will only accept walk-ins if it's a slow night for take-out (take-out was 60% of our business pre-pandemic, and we suspect it will be even higher now, so we must adjust). We thus strongly encourage reservations this summer for those who wish to dine in (a gentle nudge to all the loyal patrons reading this!) Sunday breakfast will be different as we typically see a greater influx of dine-in interest, so we shall accommodate accordingly!

-We prefer to get calls for any take-out orders or reservations any time after 1:30PM from Wednesday - Saturday, and after 8:30AM on Sundays for breakfast. We will be discouraging people from leaving messages on our machine during closed hours, as we sometimes can't hear them properly because of poor cell phone service, or we end up in time-consuming games of phone tag. We kindly ask that you call in the hours mentioned - this way you can talk to someone and the request will be completed immediately!

-This news isn't exciting, but is still important. We have not adjusted our pricing in over four years and sadly, it was necessary to make small increases because of inflation. However, to ensure that our food is still accessible to many, the items that went up only did so by $1. This will not only help cover the cost of increasing food prices, but will also allow us to take better care of our staff - they've all worked hard and deserve it. Thanks to Linda (mom), Jeni, Steven, Thomas (and Callum, who occasionally fills in!) for keeping us going this past year. The highlight of my day is learning about their accomplishments and goals! Even though they sometimes drive me crazy with their silliness, I always smile upon seeing them.

I think that is all you need to know! There are so many people I've been missing, and many children who have probably grown a foot since I last served them. I will shed a tear if I find out that they, like almost everyone else, have surpassed me in height (like my nine-year-old niece recently did).

We can't wait to see your faces!

xoxo

Jenn

12/07/2021

We looked up, confused, perplexed, bewildered (whichever synonym you'd prefer) because after two whole years of it not working, a fluorescent light in the kitchen ceiling had magically sputtered back to life, emitting its white, sterile glow over counters and a floor splattered with specks of orange sauces. On most days we arrive to find out that something else is no longer working - the water had to be shut off to the customer bathrooms because of leaks, the can opener no longer opened cans (it just eternally spins, like my head trying to comprehend the daily news headlines), and the dishwashing sink clogged itself up with rice. This building is just old enough that things are starting break at the same time - not an Oscar-worthy explosion, but a sad, pathetic fizzling out that doesn't even make a good campfire story. We often concur that a bulldozer is the most suitable solution to the restaurant's issues.

Sigh. I am here after a long cyberspace absence. I've missed writing, but to be honest, exposing thoughts on social media feels too risky to me these days - emotions are running high, opinions are polarized, and one wishes to avoid creating an open invitation to heated reactions. We are, and always have been, in this business purely for the love of food. Food should bring people together, and what more could we want during a public health crisis? Sometimes being online feels like wading through a pool of sludge. But, trust me, I've held all of our loyal supporters close to my heart the whole time.

All business decisions we've made are to ensure our long-term survival and to ensure we continue to provide our staff with steady, predictable employment. There are external factors coming at us from every angle, and endless reasons - some obvious, and others not so much - why business owners are choosing to do what they do. Knowing that you risk losing clients because of your choices is an awful position to find yourself in, because no matter what choices you make, there are repercussions. Yes, most entrepreneurs thrive on overcoming challenges and finding solutions to problems, but these current problems are on a whole other level. If normal issues were a shrink-wrapped oatmeal cookie bought at a gas station, the pandemic has presented itself as a teeming, multi-tiered wedding cake designed for a royal family. Topped with donuts. And gold sprinkles.

As most people know, we've continued with take-out only this entire year, which was a tough decision to make. We simply don't feel confident that things will not change again, and for us, it makes more sense to keep a consistent plan than to keep waiting to hear which mentally and financially costly changes are coming next. I think one of the things all of us can agree upon is that we'll celebrate the day when the masks and plexiglass are gone. It doesn't matter what side of the spectrum you are on, to go back to a world without health measures would be just great, wouldn't it? Regardless, we choose to keep doing our part because health is paramount. It's hard to appreciate this when you're healthy - it's only after that life-altering accident or that dreadful diagnosis where you realize just how important it is. We have had our fair share of these realities among our small bunch, and disrupted health care services have only compounded the stress. Some days are truly a struggle.

Working in the kitchen has not only given me new skills (I work back there now, except for Sundays when mom takes the day off and I move up front), but it has also allowed me to form closer emotional bonds to the staff. My word, they're a bunch of nuts. Whether it's Jeni's cheesy pick-up lines, Steven's aggressive compliments or Thomas' impeccable impersonations, I am always laughing, and some days even forget about all the heaviness of the world for a few minutes. Sometimes the teenage boys get a little too crass and we have to tell them politely (or not so politely) to immediately cease uttering words, but otherwise we love them like family.

We feel so grateful to have been supported so far during the pandemic. Thankfully, we didn't have to worry for the first 18 months. In the past two months, however, we have indeed slowed down, as we predicted would happen. People are flying south again, visiting relatives they haven't seen in ages, trying out the several new restaurants that have opened, changing their careers and habits, and are supporting businesses who were not able to be open for many months. We can ride out this slower period for a little while, but in the meantime I wanted to take a moment to thank those who have forgiven us after we've made an error, and to thank those who've picked up the phone to give us a call in the past two years - whether it was just one time on a cold November night, or every week without fail. Everyone knows restaurants have "razor-thin margins" (the trendy term of choice), and it's certainly true. We do this simply because we love it, and we would not still be here if it weren't for your support. Thank you. Really. If you are hunkering down in Bruce County for the winter, we will be here on those cold, dreary days to offer you flavours from afar.

I hope everyone has a safe and fun holiday season. We will close down just for one week to allow our staff to enjoy time with their families over Christmas (the dates, as always, are posted on the homepage of the website, along with daily features and any other pertinent information). Squeeze everyone you love extra closely this year, okay? Forget all the divisive opinions and anger out there for a few days. Instead, remember that out of all the things we have in life, those we love are, by far, the most important.

xo Jenn

04/15/2021

Last night consisted of impassioned discussions with staff, exaggerated groans, and ultimately, quietly putting buckets of food into the freezer as an act of acceptance - yes, we should indeed close for the next two days. Take-out has always been a very safe option, but we don't want to encourage people in Grey Bruce to leave home when they are explicitly being asked not to for forty-eight hours.

Our local health unit suddenly has a tough job ahead of them - tracking down hundreds of close contacts. And what's a mere forty-eight hours for us, when so many other businesses have been closed for months, or when some patients have spent over a hundred days in a hospital bed?

When I got home last night, I stood over my sink and ate chocolate, the smell of garlic seeping out of my clothes after a busy shift. I chewed. I contemplated. I looked out the window at the road, shimmering from fresh rain. One must increasingly seek out the cyber world to find humanity these days, and when I did so, I was relieved to see how, like a ripple, each business that chose to close its doors for the next two days confirmed another's decision to do the same. With each business taking responsibility, they leveled the playing field for others - when everyone is accountable, no one loses out. It was a relief, and a positive change from the selfishness often found online. I have never been more proud to live here.

The food industry is unique in that we sell a product that spoils quickly if unused, and it requires much effort to properly address an unexpected closure. Before these business posts are made public, there are pained discussions, and unfortunately, cuss words that us restaurant owners would be too embarrassed to share (alas, we are only human!) We've become used to these quick pandemic adaptations, but it doesn't mean they are always easy.

I find it interesting how each lockdown has had its own flair; one defined by specific online trends and memes, by the global stories permeating newsfeeds, by the entertainment options available, by the disproportionate amplification of society's most selfish voices, by the colour that has painted the front lawn, by the cultural greetings sent virtually, by the important roles of those close to us.

There is no way I could ever express the gratitude I feel for having received such an outpouring of support from this community. It is humbling, aweing, and most of all, overwhelming. Thank you. I never knew a pandemic would be the thing to wholly validate my choice of remaining in my home town; it is with the same profound awareness as spilling an entire bucket of butter chicken sauce on the floor. "Well, there it is," you utter. "Brilliant."

Our staff have also been instrumental to our survival. My mom makes Dev and I much-needed tea at the beginning of every shift, and before he left in the fall, Rhys plugged in a playlist of songs that could all be interpreted as quarantine ballads ("Don't Stand so Close to Me" by The Police comes to mind). We laughed, and everything was better in those moments. Sunny has returned to help out when we've been stuck, Callum has amused us with his crass jokes, Sami has enlightened us to her artistic creations, and Jeni continues to be a truly dedicated, competent and efficient second-in-command. With Callum and Sami having recently left to pursue next steps, we now have two new young men on board, friends with each other. We've implicitly agreed to make each other our social bubbles - our staff are mostly young people who go home and play online games instead of going to parties. Not all teenagers out there are defying the rules - some have made huge sacrifices for themselves and for us, and we could not thank them enough.

As everyone trickles in for their shifts, Dev and I try to find things to talk about in a reality marked with so little eventfulness. Somehow we all manage, don't we? If we are only talking about the small things, we have much to be thankful for.

Like everyone else, we will wait to see how these next few days pan out. We plan to re-open on Saturday because if there is anything that makes these days a bit more bearable, a tasty meal does the trick. The website is the best place to find updated information, but I wanted to reach out on here because it's certainly a strange time. We can all do this for a little bit longer, okay?

See you soon.

Jenn & the Staff

10/28/2020

As promised, here I am with one of my posts, in which clicking "See More" is a requirement should one even desire to finish it (I certainly have no expectations). Like adding extra cheese to a party-sized pizza, I've rolled up my sleeves to pile on the adjectives just for you, dearest followers.

To be honest, I've been somewhat strained for topics lately. Dreary days with more drizzle than dazzle, the occasional bout of existential paranoia, and necessary tasks keep me busy, but too drained for writing. During my free time, I instead "doomscroll" headlines for far longer than professionals would recommend, or I bother people I like in cyberspace with my recent amusements. It surely does not make for riveting reading material.

It feels as though in March we all boarded a scary roller coaster that stopped after the first major drop. There was all this anxiety as we experienced the initial whoosh - adrenaline pumping through our veins, optic blood vessels bursting, white-knuckled hands gripping handles, and then, suddenly, the sound of screeching brakes on metal. The coaster stopped on the tracks, without a platform nearby upon which we could safely disembark. We had all thought that the ride, while traumatic, would have ultimately been quick. But now we're trapped in our seats, thinking: "when can we get off this thing?" We can still talk to others, but there are bars, barricades and belts in the way; spaces between us. Some people are calm, others are scared. Most are somewhere in between. It's both nerve-racking and dreadfully boring, but we've started moving ahead slowly, creeping along the tracks at a snail's pace. We must collectively trust that the mechanics will figure out the problem and we must make efforts to not be selfish lest the coaster derail and harm everyone else on it. We must understand that even if there are more precipitous drops ahead, a roller coaster does not go on forever, and we can rest knowing that one day soon we can safely get off.

Sigh. It's funny because sometimes I wake up abruptly in the middle of the night in a cold sweat thinking: "did I forget to include mango chutney with Bob's chick peas?" If we have made any errors, we ask for your forgiveness. I don't like to make excuses for ineptitude, but I think a global pandemic is a better excuse than others, so I am going to milk it when I can! I know how much businesses are working tirelessly to follow all the changing rules and still offer a quality product and experience. Not every day will be perfect, I suppose. I do know we are all incredibly appreciative and humbled by the community's continued support. Wondering what winter will be like is a daunting thought, but the phone keeps ringing and we feel relief. Thank you.

How are you all doing? Most days I just wave at you from the kitchen and go back to making sure I am not burning anything. It's been a long time since I've worked full-time hours in a kitchen- such creative (and pleasantly deranged) people inhabit those sweaty spaces! I love it. I am still learning things, and I come home smelling like a spice shop. As stated on the website, we are sticking with take-out for the rest of 2020 just to keep things consistent and predictable for ourselves. Do I miss diners asking me how many cups of coffee I've had based on my fervent recitation of the specials? Yes. I even somewhat miss sweeping rice off the floor at the end of the day. Most of all, I miss hearing laughter. But someday we can get back to it, promise. Right now this makes most sense for us.

I'll try to write more often, and in the meantime, I urge everyone to stay in touch with dear ones in whatever way you can. Pick up that wordy Russian novel you've always wanted to read. If you can shop for the holidays, continue to think of local businesses rather than the bank account of a billionaire CEO. And if the gloomy news gets you down, as it does for all of us, watch a re-run of a show that makes you laugh or get some exercise.

We shall be here all winter long to feed you! The website, as always, is the best way to stay informed. I update the homepage every day around 1:15 (8:15 on Sundays) with relevant information, and with the features (to see them, scroll below my covid-19 blurb [I purposefully refuse to capitalize the virus; this is my hilarious human defiance against it]). We start answering the phone after 1:30 so you can pre-order should you desire!

We love you all. Hang in there, okay?

Popsicles and rainbows,

Jenn

This is just so pretty we had to take a picture! Today's breakfast feature is Georgian Khachapuri ($17), our own versio...
10/25/2020

This is just so pretty we had to take a picture! Today's breakfast feature is Georgian Khachapuri ($17), our own version of this delicious dish from the mountainous Caucasus region! Homemade dough with a filling of spinach, mozzarella, cottage cheese, red onions, garlic, etc. It is baked with two eggs cracked on top (yolks runny) and served with our home fries and tomato & cucumber slices! We are all caught up on orders now, and the wait for food won't be more than 15-20 minutes! We are open every Sunday from 9:00-1:00ish for breakfast (take-out only for now) and we've made plenty of chai tea :) I promise I will write one of my long-winded updates in the near future! xo Jenn

08/14/2020

This is an important update to let everyone know that we will be taking our fall holidays a little earlier than usual this year! In a nutshell, Dev, our head chef, ran into health issues long before the pandemic started. Her medical journey ultimately got put on hold when lock-down was imposed, but it's now at the point where she must get her problems addressed. Have no fear, there is a care plan in place and she is on the mend, but this past month has not been easy for our little crew! We are a very small, family-run establishment, and every shock, no matter how small, can create a very big wave for our sensitive little bunch.

It's cute because, even when slightly d***y on medication, Dev still somehow manages to give me step-by-step instructions over the phone on how to make specials. She is relentlessly creative! We have indeed been trying to keep up without her during our busiest time of the year, but it's a level of commitment that requires more energy than we can give, especially considering the extent to which this community (and beyond!) has supported us since lock-down started. Because of your loyalty, we had to massively ramp up our production levels that fateful week in March, and we haven't looked back since. Somehow, five months have passed, and we remain so thankful to have been provided an opportunity to thrive. Each day we have started fully stocked, and by the end of the night there is nothing left but a floor filled with onion skins. Thank you.

Frankly, this year has been what the kids are calling a "sh*tshow" (pardon my language, but it really is the perfect word for this scenario, isn't it?) Your support has been one of the main things keeping us motivated. We are going to continue to be there for you in the fall and winter, and hopefully the virus will stay far away based on our collective continued vigilance. All the predictions of a virus resurgence, during what is already a difficult and grey time for many, sometimes makes it hard to stay positive. But, we are committed to being there to provide your favourite international meals, whether take-out, or dine-in (only if it's safe).

So, as much as I'd like to believe my battery never ends (some people assume this is the case based on how fast I talk) it is definitely hours - nay, minutes! - away from expiring, and when that happens I am about as useful as a spot of mould on a bathroom sink. I also came across an article on "burnout" and yes, I realized that I check one too many of those boxes. To go a week or two without worrying about where I can possibly procure seven metric tons of ripe avocados is going to be nice! Because of the constant threat of financial instability during this pandemic, and because of how much job procedure has changed, it seems that many people who've kept their jobs have been working extra long hours. I want to take this opportunity to remind anyone who has also reached the burnout phase, that it's okay to need a break. You're not "weak" for needing to do this. ❤️

Our last day open will be Saturday August 22nd (I know this is soon, and for that, I apologize) and we will re-open three weeks later on our usual Wednesday - in this case, September 16th. I have fantasies that when we re-open, everything will be back to normal - where people can sit side-by-side, and no one feels nervous - but sometimes there is no point in wishing for how things ought to be, but only adapting to reality as it is. Sigh. Please keep in mind that leading up to the 22nd, we will only be offering take-out (no reservations will be taken, and I will be calling to cancel the few that have already been made). While Dev might make her way back for a few hours here and there, I need to work in the kitchen full time, and it's best switching to take-out. Again, we are more like a family kitchen than a "typical" restaurant. We like it this way, but it means we need to make changes sometimes.

We hope you can understand our decision to take an earlier-than-planned break, and until then, we will be working our butts off to make sure we are fully stocked for as many take-out orders as we can handle! We have greatly appreciated all of your support, truly.

Endless love and spices to all of you.

xo Jenn

08/02/2020

Our tasty breakfast can be packed up to go,
Because it's raining outside, wouldn't you know!

Is it Pierogi you crave, or Banana French Toast?
Maybe it's Bollywood Benedict you want the most!

Does the Mexican Bean Omelette tickle you pink?
The Greek Pancakes are delicious, I do indeed think!

The Iranian Frittata is green and yummy,
And today's Migas special will fill your tummy!

We have dark roast coffee and endless chai tea,
Check out our website and you will see!

We cooked all this food, but the rain is here,
We can offer it for take-out - don't shed a tear!

:)
www.saffronportelgin.com
519-832-9121
xo Jenn

07/17/2020

A chipmunk darts across the patio stones searching for crumbs; a child mimics the sound of an engine while he plays with a toy truck; family members quietly giggle about a silly memory from last summer; friends "embrace" with a virtual hug while the aroma of grilling onions wafts out the back door. These are the sounds, sights and smells of our spacious back patio, where tables are spread out, and the canopy of leaves keeps the sun from making anyone too hot.

We've enjoyed the safety that reduced patio occupancy brings during this pandemic, and despite getting permission to move to Stage 3 and re-open our indoor seating today, we are not yet ready to do that. The main reason is that we don't have much room to work with inside, and we want our loyal take-out patrons and patio diners to enjoy a crowd-free indoor space.

We are going to continue with both a focus on outdoor seating (increasing the amount of reservations we will allow) and a focus on take-out (including a no-contact option) for the next four weeks, perhaps even the rest of the summer. Patio dining protocol will remain as before - call the restaurant for a reservation (times will be spread out to avoid crowding at the door) and come in to be escorted to your table out back.

Public Health has mandated that masks will be required indoors for four weeks starting today (when inside paying, using the bathroom, or picking up food). Masks will not be required outdoors while you are eating. For those who can't wear masks for medical/personal reasons, we still offer no-contact take-out, and if you are dining in with a group, let us know in advance and we can let you in the back gate rather than you needing to walk through the restaurant! Unfortunately, you will need to walk past a dumpster to get there, but you can call it a little adventure! Sigh. And for those whose meals involved a lot of garlic, I suppose you will get to enjoy that pungent smell trapped inside of your mask for a few minutes while you come in to pay. I'd like to say I am sorry for that, but, really, I am not. It means we fed you well!

As usual, the home page of our website (www.saffronportelgin.com) is the best place to find information, since I update it daily.

Thank you all very much, both locals and visitors alike, for your continued support and patience while we go through all these changes. We are so happy to see how other businesses are adapting in their own ways, and how they are coming up with protocol to make everyone feel safe while maintaining some sense of normalcy!

See you soon. Rain is in the forecast for Sunday, but remember we offer our delicious breakfast menu to go!

xo Jenn xo

Address

522 Goderich Street
Port Elgin, ON
N0H2C4

Opening Hours

Wednesday 4pm - 8pm
Thursday 4pm - 8pm
Friday 4pm - 8pm
Saturday 4pm - 8pm
Sunday 9am - 1:30pm

Telephone

+15198329121

Website

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