Saba-restaurant ☆☆☆☆☆

Last Friday night, for my nineteenth birthday, I was graciously treated to dinner at Saba-restaurant. I was expecting the restaurant to be packed, like many other restaurants in the area at seven o’clock on a Friday night. Saba was surprisingly empty, given its unquestionably stellar reputation among Emory students for its affordable prices, high quality food, and convenient location. There were only a few people in Saba, which created a pleasantly patient and personal atmosphere.

Anytime I go to a restaurant, I prefer to select risky appetizers—something that I have never tried before. This leaves the uncertainty of whether or not I will actually enjoy the food. Optimally, the selection leads to the discovery of new and delicious flavors. Furthermore, I find that the anticipation of blindly trusting the chef’s expertise can be equally as thrilling.

When I glanced over the menu, many of the appetizers were familiar, an assortment of salads, hummus, meatball sliders, bruschetta, and fries. Nevertheless, what stood out over the others was the honey ricotta with pecans, prosciutto and sliced apple. The pecans and sliced apple combination of taste was familiar to me. But, I had an urge to discover how it would taste alongside ricotta, prosciutto and honey.

Honey ricotta with pecans, prosciutto, and sliced apple.

When the appetizer came, I was dazzled by both the presentation and the quality. The plate was covered with a thin layer of prosciutto, which made it easy to cut and chew. The ricotta cheese was presented like an ice-cream scoop, which created a dessert like appearance, especially when the crunchy pecans were chopped and scattered across the dish. Sliced apples were used to separate the bites or ricotta and to set the foundation for the dish. The honey was drizzled in an unorganized but evenly distributed layer.

            Nevertheless, the appetizer was as delicious as it appeared. The ricotta was fluffy, and complimented the faint taste and texture of the prosciutto. The apples and pecans gave the dish a crunchy and fruitful taste. The honey was able to bring the whole dish together, similar to how caramel holds together a sundae. Overall, I wasn’t sure if this was a better appetizer or a distinctive healthy dessert. But nevertheless, it served as an excellent spectacle and it quenched my desire for both discovery and exploration.