Restaurateur Emily Shaya and James Beard Foundation Award-winning Chef-Partner Alon Shaya, owners of New Orleans-based hospitality group Pomegranate Hospitality, are gearing up for two new vibrant food and beverage projects set to debut by the end of 2025. In Denver, Chef Alon Shaya will open Ceci! Italian Lounge, a new bar and lounge concept. Secondly, the team will open Safta’s Table in New Orleans, a neighborhood all-day Mediterranean cafe, in one of the best food cities in the world.
Safta’s Table, slated to open in New Orleans’ Lakeview neighborhood in Late 2025, will capture the warmth and comfort of dining at your grandmother’s house. The menu will focus on fresh and sustainable ingredients in a comforting atmosphere that keeps you returning for more. Below, Chef Shaya shares more about his vision for the upcoming Safta’s Table and why he’s so excited to add this restaurant to his New Orleans portfolio.
The vision for Safta’s Table
“Our vision for Safta’s Table is to open a Mediterranean neighborhood restaurant that will be a gathering place for friends and families. I’d love to show off some of my grandmother’s best recipes while cooking comforting and approachable meals that people can count on,” says Shaya. “With an emphasis on everyday meals that are both approachable and delicious, it felt only natural to bring this counter-service, all-day cafe to Lakeview, a neighborhood brimming with families of all ages.”
“We will offer a variety of fresh and healthy dishes, along with items you can stock the fridge with or pick up for your family dinner. We will also focus on catering for people’s special events or casual get-togethers. Lots of prepared foods are ready to be picked up quickly, like hummus, pita, soups, casseroles and sauces, vinaigrettes, and spice blends from our pantry. Saba and Safta are more full-scale dining experiences, while Safta’s Table will be more casual and offer more catering and retail options. Safta’s Table will be an all-day cafe offering breakfast, brunch, lunch, and dinner, which is a major difference.”
The vision for the menu at Safta’s Table is “comfort”, as Chef Shaya describes the menu as food that “fills your soul.” The menu strives to be both delicious and homey, filled with recipes that have lots of sentimental value for anyone who had a grandmother who was a great cook. “You’ll find that the food will be craveable and something that the whole family can enjoy together,” he says.
The inspiration
Chef Shaya and his wife, Emily, reside together in New Orleans, fueling their deep passion to continue to invest in the community. “We have a young family, so we kind of want to open a place where we feel caters to the needs of families while also providing a space for friends to gather for a drink and some delicious food made by chefs. We kind of mirror the way we want to spend our time with our friends and family, and that is the type of restaurant we want to open,” says Shaya.
Safta’s table is set to open at 129 Allen Touissant Boulevard, situated in the New Orleans Lakeview neighborhood. “We love Lakeview, we have lots of friends who live there, and we spend a lot of time in the neighborhood because of that. Emily and I have lived here for over 20 years, so the entire city is very special to us in many ways. We’ve put down roots here and feel responsible for showing people what a great city we have. Music, food, and fun are always at your fingertips here. Our lifelong friends and raising our children here are what make it special,” he says.
A look into the menu
While the team is still working to finalize the menu offerings for the late 2025 opening, Chef Shaya shares a bit about what diners can expect to see on the menu at Safta’s Table. He shares that the menu will have lots of hearty meat options, including roasted meats like chicken, beef, and lamb, as well as lighter options like grilled salmon.
The menu will also feature “A variety of creamy hummus and fire-baked pita options, along with over a dozen different salads, sides, and small plates to be shared or enjoyed by one person.” There will be plenty of ways for diners to customize their order based on their mood, making it a “tough decision to be made about what to order”. Chef Shaya also plans to include a variety of casseroles on the menu, such as lasagne bolognese, pot pie, and spanakopita, which can be purchased to take home and pop in the oven for dinner.
