Jose Salazar to open new restaurant in former OTR space
It was on a recent trip to Morocco that Jose Salazar started thinking about opening a Moroccan-style tapas and wine bar in Cincinnati.
While learning about the different spices and cooking techniques of Moroccan cuisine, Salazar and his wife, Ann, ventured into the mountains where they learned how to roll couscous by hand from Berber women. (Berbers are the indigenous people of North Africa.) The process involves rolling semolina wheat into tiny granules. He decided he wanted to take the lessons they taught him back home.
Salazar has played with Moroccan flavors before, most notably at his James Beard-nominated restaurant, Mita’s. But his latest venture, Safi − which will open this summer in his former Salazar restaurant space − will dig deeper into the cooking techniques he learned during their visit.
Even though Salazar owns Safi, it will still have some mighty big shoes to fill. When Salazar opened at 1401 Republic St. in 2013, it was among the first restaurants to put Over-the-Rhine on America's culinary map. During its 10 years of operation, it frequently topped local best-restaurants lists and received national accolades, including multiple James Beard Award nominations.
That's why many Greater Cincinnatians were shocked when, in a Nov. 29 Instagram post, Jose Salazar said the restaurant would have its final service on New Year's Eve. He said he had outgrown the space and that rising labor and food costs, as well as decreasing crowds, were making it increasingly difficult to operate. He is still in the process of securing a new, larger space for Salazar, and hopes to announce something soon.
What to expect at Jose Salazar's new Safi restaurant
With its more limited menu and fewer employees, Safi, which, according to a press release, is a Moroccan name for "enough," will be a more affordable concept to operate, Salazar told me.
That menu will include several small plates such as chicken pastilla "cigars," zalouk (eggplant and tomato compote) and briwat (Moroccan almond pastry). There will also be one or two larger entrees, including a slow-cooked lamb shank tagine with couscous. The kitchen will be helmed by former Salazar sous chef Eddie Jarret Clark, and the front of house will be run by Sarahi Godinez, the restaurant's former bar manager.
Since Moroccan wines are difficult to import, the wine list will mostly focus on Mediterranean wines from Italy, Greece, Spain, France and Lebanon. Safi will also offer signature cocktails and beer.
Salazar told me he's excited to be doing something new and exciting with the space. “I am loving the way it is coming out,” he said. “It is going to be moody and dark and loungey.”
His landlord, Cincinnati Center City Development Corp., seems excited about Safi, too.
“Over-the-Rhine is known for its wide range of restaurants and cultural cuisines – and Safi broadens that range even more,” Lindzie Gunnels, 3CDC's director of commercial leasing, said in a press release. “Jose brought this space to life with Salazar and we can’t wait to see how he reimagines this corner with Safi.”
Salazar is hoping to open Safi this summer. Hours are TBD, but it will be open during the evenings Wednesday through Friday and will open at noon on Saturdays and Sundays.
This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: New wine bar to bring Moroccan flavors to former Salazar space in OTR
