CJ has four stars for Saffron's

[Robin Garr]

Praise and glory to Saffron's, which won florid praise and a full four-star rating from Marty in today's Scene. It's a pleasant surprise to see a (well deserved) four-star rating go to an ethnic place, and almost makes one wonder if the CJ editors have been lurking in the forum and saw us making fun of the paper's long-time apparent policy of reserving the top rating only for traditionally upscale eateries.

Saffron's execution is stunning

Saffron's
131 W. Market St.
584-7800
http://www.saffronsrestaurant.com

Maybe Marty just likes Saffron's a bit more than some other ethnic places he has reviewed. None the less, Saffron's has always offered stunning value given the quality of the food.

Well deserved review. My bride has the pleasure of eating at Saffron's very, very often and when I get the opportunity to join her it is a special treat for me. The food is always excellent and Majid and staff ensure consistency in ambiance and friendly service. Congratulations.

[Robin Garr]

Maybe Marty just likes Saffron's a bit more than some other ethnic places he has reviewed. None the less, Saffron's has always offered stunning value given the quality of the food.

I think we all agree that Saffron's deserves four stars and that Majid does a great job there. No argument about that! The pattern of refusal to give four stars to an ethnic place has been so consistent, though, and some places have received total raves with not a single negative word and still haven't made the grade. This practice extends back through Marty's term and that of his predecessor, leading me to suspect that it's an editor-level policy rather than entirely up to Marty.

Anyway, the break couldn't have gone to a nicer man than Majid. Congrats all around.

On the other hand if the paper keeps shrinking there won't be enough space for an extra star for anyone. I picked up my little plastic bag one day this week and actually thought they didn't put any thing in it but a single advertising circular.

[Robin Garr]

On the other hand if the paper keeps shrinking there won't be enough space for an extra star for anyone. I picked up my little plastic bag one day this week and actually thought they didn't put any thing in it but a single advertising circular.

The saddest thing is that SCENE, which was truly cutting-edge and innovative when it launched in The Louisville Times back in the '70s, has become virtually nothing but an advertising circular itself. Marty's column truly stands out, because it's a beacon of creative originality amid a sea of rewritten press releases.

I often joke - although I'm not sure it's really a joke - that the only reason I don't want to see Gannett go belly-up is that when I left the CJ I was vested in their retirement plan.

love Saffron's - it may be the closest good restaurant in Louisville to us in the Clark County region and a shining star in the downtown area

Maybe Marty just likes Saffron's a bit more than some other ethnic places he has reviewed. None the less, Saffron's has always offered stunning value given the quality of the food.

I think we all agree that Saffron's deserves four stars and that Majid does a great job there. No argument about that! The pattern of refusal to give four stars to an ethnic place has been so consistent, though, and some places have received total raves with not a single negative word and still haven't made the grade. This practice extends back through Marty's term and that of his predecessor, leading me to suspect that it's an editor-level policy rather than entirely up to Marty.

Anyway, the break couldn't have gone to a nicer man than Majid. Congrats all around.

110% correct assessment. Sooooooo many reviews "read" way better than the stars assigned. I cannot remember all the times I've read a CJ review then looked at the star rating and just shook my head in disbelief. I believe Marty is a great restaurant critic and may not have final say so in the rating.

[quote="Robin Garr']The saddest thing is that SCENE, which was truly cutting-edge and innovative when it launched in The Louisville Times back in the '70s, has become virtually nothing but an advertising circular itself. Marty's column truly stands out, because it's a beacon of creative originality amid a sea of rewritten press releases.quote]

Not to hijack this thread, but I picked up Friday's CJ because I like the cultural listings for the week- only to find that the pull out magazine is no longer. I found some listings in teeny tiny typebut nothing like it used to be. I swear the only reason I still get the Sunday paper is for the coupons. My mother worked for the CJ in the 70's and early 80's and it was a place of pride. So sad to see how it has diminished. And how embarassing for Louisville to have such a sad sack daily.

at least we're not alone, it seems like newspapers in cities across the country are on a downward spiral, the age of Newspapers is dying a slow death, thankfully we have places like Hotbytes to obtain information

Argh!!! And I'm blessed with hospital food for a bit. Looking for a napkin to wipe up the drool. T/G Esse has been sending in Persian /Italian fixes. Might have to look up Majid or Manoosh to get a Saffrons' fix

[Robin Garr]

I'm blessed with hospital food for a bit.

Get well soon, J.P.!

The saddest thing is that SCENE, which was truly cutting-edge and innovative when it launched in The Louisville Times back in the '70s, has become virtually nothing but an advertising circular itself. Marty's column truly stands out, because it's a beacon of creative originality amid a sea of rewritten press releases.

The sort-of-recent Louisville Magazine piece on the changing nature of the Scene was a very informative read.

at least we're not alone, it seems like newspapers in cities across the country are on a downward spiral, the age of Newspapers is dying a slow death, thankfully we have places like Hotbytes to obtain information

The downward spiral of newspapers and the creation of places like Hotbytes are very, very much related. I'm not saying Hotbytes is killing the newspaper. People's changing habits are killing newspapers. And, well, that's life. I'm a lover of newspapers and newspaper history, but I can't tell you the last time I actually held a newspaper in my hands.

[Robin Garr]

The sort-of-recent Louisville Magazine piece on the changing nature of the Scene was a very informative read.

I wish I had seen that! Do you happen to recall who wrote it?

The sort-of-recent Louisville Magazine piece on the changing nature of the Scene was a very informative read.

I wish I had seen that! Do you happen to recall who wrote it?

What's that old saying - Ask and you shall receive? All thanks to the The Intrawebs.

PDF here - http://loumag.epubxpress.com/wps/portal/lou/c1/04_SB8K8xLLM9MSSzPy8xBz9CP0os3iLkCAPEzcPIwMDQ0dHA6OQUK8QR0NPI3cPI6B8JE55g2BDArrDQfbh1w-SN8ABHA30_Tzyc1P1C3IjDLJMHBUB_FGDCg!!/dl2/d1/L2dJQSEvUUt3QS9ZQnB3LzZfOFRSSDRGSDIwMDFBQTAyVFVKVEExSTJHSDc!/

Select the Jan. 2008 issue.

Text here. http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_qa5317/is_200801/ai_n21302983/pg_1?tag=artBody;col1