Despite the city being under a STATE of EMERGENCY, I decided to venture out to run errands in search of essentials (my apologies, Mayor Nenshi :p). Between the priorities of stocking up on water and canned goods I came across lunch at Saaj Grill. Tucked away (but with huge beaconing green signs) in the industrial/business area of the NE, I decided to give it a try. Clean and open on the interior, serving up fast and quality food - I may just become a regular!
The (I assumed owner) recommended the Donair, and also offered a couple of freebies for barreling through the weather to visit. They sport an open kitchen concept, with the rotisseries churning in front of you, and fresh toppings in view. The falafel (6$ for a regular wrap) was fried to a light brown, slightly spicy, with a nice crisp outside and moist middle. I tried a spinach pie as well, which appeared to be hand pinched together in a light dough with tangy filling. Yum!
Prior to arriving, my hubby had requested a prepackaged lumberjack sub from Safeway - which even for a wannabe foodie would be morally wrong to consciously purchase. Fortunately Saaj offered a fresh donair alternative ($8 large), which was very flavorful based on the seasoned beef alone, and was not overpowered by a lot of sauce. They also make their own pickled purple turnip (I'm not sure of the actual name)& sprinkle sumac (a tart spice) to balance out the fresh onions. The turnips are apparently tough to make, and is why many other shops in the city do not offer them.
If you do work in this area (4204-12th St NE), definitely give them a try, Saaj Grill is a small locally owned business that's excited about food - & it definitely shows in the quality of their product! I think my hubby is hooked.
