Photograph by Kathy De La Torre
Ali Amalfard, co-owner and manager of Saratoga Cafe, says the restaurant's specialty is shish kebabs.
New cafe blends the foods of the U.S. and Middle East
By Suzanne Cristallo
Ali Amalfard successfully features some food items in his Saratoga Cafe that he hopes will be known as his restaurant's signatures. From giant burgers on focaccia bread and shish kebabs seasoned with saffron to cafe freezes made with ice cream, he offers a taste of the Middle East He combines his cuisine with the latest in "cyber cafe" fare at the Big Basin Way eatery.
Amalfard recently completed six months of the permitting process required for his big new kitchen. He purchased the previous Caravan Market in November, and kept the coffee house and sandwich part of the business open while his renovation progressed. The new kitchen is a kind of theater, where he produces breakfast on weekends and daily lunch and dinner fare within view of interested patrons.
"Everything is open to my customers' eyes," Amalfard says. "It makes it more interesting."
There is a little of everything--shelf items, such as teas and Turkish coffee, gift items and greeting cards, syrups for Italian sodas and breads that are baked daily by Douce France Bakery in Palo Alto. Amalfard uses lavash, the moist, Middle Eastern version of flat bread, as a wrap for his falafels, which contain a variety of stuffings like meatballs or lots of vegetables. "Some customers order 10 at a time," he says.
His Saratoga Giant Burger is a third of a pound of beef topped with cheese, lettuce, tomato and pickles and sandwiched between slices of focaccia. The bread is brushed liberally with olive oil and seasoned, usually with rosemary. "The focaccia was an experiment," he notes, "and it's been very successful."
He also features shish kebabs, skewered and grilled beef, chicken, lamb or vegetables, which are served over basmati rice. Basmati means "queen of fragrance," and the long grains have a perfumed, nut-like flavor, achieved by an aging process designed to decrease the moisture content.
The beef kebabs are beef brochettes with bell peppers and onions seasoned with saffron. Saffron is an expensive, aromatic spice that requires five acres to produce the 75,000 crocus blossoms needed to make just one pound. Fortunately, Amalfard says very little is needed to make a big difference in a dish.
Besides what Amalfard refers to as "hard-to-find Middle Eastern food," he offers traditional coffeehouse fare, including a full espresso bar, fruit smoothies and his "famous cold coffee," a cafe freeze made with real ice cream, espresso and a whipped-cream topping. Wine by the glass and beer on tap also is available.
Amalfard, 31, manages the Saratoga Cafe, but shares ownership with partner Saied Mehranfar, 48. Together they own three other enterprises, the International Market in Mountain View, Healthy Choice in Palo Alto and a restaurant/night club in Los Altos. Both partners grew up in Tehran, Iran, where Amalfard gained restaurant experience managing the kitchen on an army base for three years. His staff of 100 served three meals a day to 20,000 people.
Amalfard came to the United States in 1993. He worked for restaurants in five different states before meeting Mehranfar in a California restaurant where the two worked. Mehranfar had then been here for 17 years.
Amalfard also does catering, specializing in weddings and private parties. "My goal is to have a birthday party here every night," he smiles.
Saratoga Cafe, 14445 Big Basin Way, Saratoga. Open Monday-Friday, 10 a.m.- 9 p.m., Saturday and Sunday, 8 a.m.(for breakfast)-9 p.m. 408.741.2221.
Saratoga, California Since 1955
