Saffron de Twah chef to take a break, restaurant will close for six months
Melody BaetensJames Beard Award-nominated chef Omar Anani is taking a sabbatical from his Moroccan restaurant Saffron de Twah to “focus on personal projects, wellness and community service.”
Anani has had a busy year so far with his second James Beard nomination and appearance on the Food Network show “Chopped.” He announced the pause in a statement posted to social media over the weekend.
“The reality is that shows like ‘The Bear’ aren’t just dramatic for the sake of viewers,” reads the statement. “The industry is hard on chefs’ bodies and on their mental and emotional health and now we know other chefs who have suddenly passed away from heart attacks or because of severe depression.”
Omar, who suffered a sprained hamstring last week, will step away from the restaurant and close it for regular service after Aug. 21. He plans to reopen in March.
During the downtime, Saffron de Twah’s team is available for catering events and will continue to support the Saffron Community Kitchen. There may also be ticketed events and pop-up dinners at the restaurant from time to time, but no walk-in service.
Saffron de Twah’s last few days of operation before the pause are Monday until 8 p.m., 11 a.m.-9 p.m. Fri., noon-9 p.m. Sat. and 11 a.m.-8 p.m. Sun. and Aug. 21. Find the restaurant at 7636 Gratiot in Detroit. Call (586) 359-6138 or visit saffrondetwah.com.
Visit saffrondetwah.com/catering for details on catering and launchgood.com/sck2023 to donate or learn more about the Saffron Community Kitchen.
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