Southern Charm And South African Flavors Blend At Saga

Where can you go to escape the hustle and bustle, relax with a "Twisted Rooibus Tea" and enjoy some biltong or kingklip with a distinctly southern twist? SAGA in midtown, at 1100 Crescent Avenue, opens its arms and doors to Atlanta in November.
A blend of South African, native Sean Lupton-Smith and friends from the American South, SAGA finds the common ground in cuisine between the New South and South Africa. Chef Drew Van Leuvan brings the best of both worlds together in an adventurous, but somehow familiar way. "The pride and heritage of Southern cooking is very similar to the way we South Africans approach and respect our local fare and traditions," says Lupton-Smith. "We love our braai like southerners love barbece. Good food is terrific and it's only made better by the atmosphere and the people you're sharing it with. SAGA will be the place you come when you're looking for something wonderful and warm," he continues. SAGA stands for South African (SA) and Georgia (GA). To the family behind the restaurant, SAGA means a long journey - and it has taken them just that to get here.

Highlighting locally-grown produce and sustainable farm products, SAGA is excited to work with companies like Woodland Gardens, Crystal Farms and Springer Mountain Farms to bring guests the finest, freshest ingredients of the season. Other partners, like Heritage Foods USA and Snake River Farms reflect SAGA's commitment to sustainable farming techniques that respect the produce and the planet. The seasonally-changing menu will tempt tastebuds this fall with appetizers such as the SAGA mussels with your choice of sauce (spicy South African tomato, white wine and garlic, coconut lime, saffron bouillabaisse, dashi ginger, or smoky chorizo), Potjie of the day, and a South African Antipasto Plate (biltong [dried meat similar to beef jerky], droe wors [dried sausage], arugula, Cahill's cheddar, apple pate). Entrees show the coastal variety of South Africa with the likes of seasonal Gulf Kingklip served with grilled vegetable basquaise. Carnivores will delight in the Barded Pork Tenderloin, Painted Hills Hangar Steak, or the Springer Mountain Chicken.

And what meal would be complete without dessert? Chef Drew Van Leuvan made a name for himself with smart desserts. His signature Huckleberry Pie served with goat cheese sorbet is on the menu as well as a few new inspirations like the Spiced Chocolate Truffle Cake (complimented by cumin caramel toffee and chocolate sorbet). The Fromage du Jour will be a welcome offering for those who crave a clean, simple cheese course. Appetizers will range from $8 - $15, entrees from $18 -$29 and desserts $6 - $12.

SAGA's approach to wine started out simply as a mantra "No big names. We wanted stuff you couldn't find everywhere. We were unique and felt our wine list should be too. The list focuses on South African wines, but is truly international since we couldn't give up on any wine we fell in love with. To make some of our more unusual selections more accessible we offer suggested wine pairings along with our entrees. To make the wine experience more memorable, we have cards with all of the important information on them for each wine. Guests can take the wine cards with them so as to remember that wine again at a later point in time. To compliment that fabulous bottle of wine you just ordered we have Eisch glasses which have tiny microscopic holes to allow the wine to breath more quickly and thus reach perfection in minutes," comments Lupton-Smith. For those adventurous souls who love to be astounded by magnificent wines and incomparable food, a five-course pairing menu will be available. Cocktails will also nod to the owner's homeland - in fact, all well brands have been imported from South Africa.

Sean Lupton-Smith is no stranger to the restaurant business. (Besides having operated sev