Saffran, Orlando

In 2009 in Iceland, an established restaurateur and financier joined forces, opening up Saffran with a focus on healthy European, Mediterranean, and Middle Eastern menu items. With three successful locations under their belt, the duo expanded their venture overseas, opening a location in Orlando. Their restaurant is “a fast-food concept with food that rivals some restaurants that have a wait staff,” states Orlando Sentinel food editor Heather McPherson.

The kitchen team cooks chicken burgers, tandoori beef, and Safflats (akin to pizzas) without using white flour or MSG, and the housemade marinades contain no additives or preservatives. Most ingredients in the kitchen are culled from local producers, and nothing is prepared with a deep fryer. In the dining room, dark-wooden accents inform the decor, and an oversized picture of a waterfall symbolizes the bold plunge of the scientist who first united two hydrogen molecules with one oxygen molecule, making possible the marinades Saffran prepares today.