Feeding peo­ple is an art of seduction

We, at Azafrán, strongly believe that it is in our every­day life that we acquire mean­ing and inspi­ra­tion. In serv­ing food, we are part of our guests’ daily life and we trea­sure that relation. We cre­ate our meals from the fresh­est ingre­di­ents, pre­pare them with care and atten­tion, and serve them in a wel­com­ing space by our great staff. Empty plates, smiles, return­ing guests and warm words are our rewards.

History

Café Azafrán came about on a cold win­ter after­noon when John Shields, our beloved Chesapeake chef and owner of Gertude’s, sug­gested work­ing with Irena to rein­vent the cafe­te­ria at the Space Telescope Science Institute located on the Johns Hopkins University Homewood cam­pus. The sci­en­tists in the insti­tute were look­ing to bring fresh food and good cof­fee to their work­ing envi­ron­ment, a place where extra­or­di­nary ideas and projects take shape (and are launched). Scientists from around the world come and share new tech­nolo­gies, the­o­ries and per­spec­tives for under­stand­ing the world around us. What bet­ter oppor­tu­nity than to feed those who are our “eyes to the universe”?

Thus, Café Azafrán opened on September 25, 2004. It has grown to become a deli­cious break­fast, cof­fee and lunch des­ti­na­tion and a wel­com­ing set­ting for sci­ence dis­cus­sions, neigh­bor­hood gath­er­ings, inter-disciplinary dia­logues, professor-student meet­ings and inter­ac­tion among the Johns Hopkins com­mu­nity at large.

Staff

Our staff is very kind, well man­nered and upbeat. We under­stand the impor­tance of good cus­tomer rela­tions and that a pos­i­tive atti­tude is as impor­tant as the knowl­edge of the food trade. We try to cre­ate work con­di­tions that will instill such a pos­i­tive attitude.

Food and purveyors

Azafrán food is healthy, very fla­vor­ful, and light, and is meant to make peo­ple happy at work. It is made daily in our kitchen at the Space Telescope Science Institute.  Vegetarian selec­tions are always a part of our daily menu. Eggs and most of our meats are hor­mone and antibiotic-free.

We source most of our food from the fol­low­ing places:

Farms: Springfield farm, MD; Sunnyside farm, PA; Black Rock Orchard, MD;  Pinegrove Farm, MD; Olli farm, VA; Cherry Glenn,  MD

Breads and empanadas: Max’s Empanadas, Bonaparte, Stone Mill Bakery, Patisserie Poupon, all four in Baltimore, MD.

Fish, selec­tion of meats and other goods: JJ Mc Donnell, Fells Point meats, Chefs Warehouse, Restaurant Depot.

Sustainable prac­tices

Azafrán has been com­mit­ted to a health­ier and cleaner envi­ron­ment since its open­ing day. Porcelain and glass are used in the din­ing area.  All Compostable mate­ri­als are now used for our take-out pack­ag­ing. We are soon to become a zero waste cafe, like Alkimia. We are now part­ner­ing with the Space Telescope Institute and Johns Hopkins University to fur­ther pur­sue com­mu­nity efforts to become even greener in every pos­si­ble way.

sample menus

Summer wed­ding

Tapas menu
  • Watermelon lime salad w/ginger, pep­per, mint cilantro
  • Chilled cucum­ber soup w/ mint and basil served in shot glasses
  • Duck orange curry served in porce­lain spoons
  • Mini burg­ers on brioche w/ corian­der, cumin, pep­per­corns, aioli
  • Sticky rice balls w/ coconut topping
  • Lamb chops w/ rosemary
  • Blue cheese and pear w/ thyme on grilled arti­san bread
  • Edamame green pea pat­ties with mint pesto
  • Heirloom toma­toes, corn, Thai basil, lime vinaigrette
  • Grilled peaches on pecan meringues and crème fraîche

Executive Dinner

Appetizers

  • Marinated shrimp w/ abun­dant pars­ley and pepper
  • Blue cheese balls w/ ground pistachio
  • Asparagusw/ red pep­per and pome­gran­ate dip

Pre-served salad

  • Winter greens salad with mus­tard vinaigrette

Entree

  • Duck breasts w/ cas­sis reduction
  • Potato-butternut squash puree
  • Sauteed red chard w/ currants

Dessert

  • Chocolate rasp­berry tart

 

 A wed­ding at the Arboretum

Appetizers

  • Shrimp skew­ers w/ chili cilantro sauce
  • Beef mini empanadas w/ chipotle
  • Arepitas w/ guacamole
  • Goat cheese w/ aca­cia honey and caramelized onions

Pre-served salad

  • Arugula, fresh figs, pro­sciutto, shaved parme­san, bal­samic vinaigrette

Buffet-style din­ner

  • Baby spinach, shaved fen­nel, pears and blue­ber­ries salad
  • Carrot salad w/ lemon and cilantro
  • Sustainable fish w/ mango-habanero sauce
  • Tostones
  • Fava beans, golden beets, shi­itakes, parsnips in tamarind coconut milk
  • Lemon rice w/ golden cashews amd curry leaves

Dessert

  • Croquembouche

Afternoon recep­tion JHU

  • Mini flat­breads w/tomato, moz­zarella, basil, olive oil
  • Goat cheeses from Cherry Glen Farm, MD
  • Fruit, olives, arti­san breads
  • Mini flat­breads roasted veg­eta­bles, pesto, caramelized onions
  • Endive leaves w/ smoked salmon mousse
  • Gold and red beets w/orange
  • Mini brioches w/turkey, baby greens, aioli
  • Little fruit tarts and choco­late mousse mice

 

Tapas menu, Spanish style

  • Goat cheese balls with Acacia Honey and sweet caramelized onions
  • Olive oil poached shrimp with lemon anchovy mayo
  • Slice toasted bread, rubbed with tomato, topped with Manchego.
  • Chicken wings with dried fruit and almonds
  • Warm Spinach with pinenuts and currants
  • Stewed chick­peas (guisat de cigrons)
  • Mussels on half-shell with tomato vinaigrette
  • Leeks Romesco with crum­bled Garrotza cheese

Desserts

  • Strawberries with Marsala 
  • Flan  Azafrán

 

Event: Commencement Celebration Brunch Menu

  • Gourmet Coffees and Teas
  • Pomegranate and Orange Juice with orange blos­som water
  • Mimosas
  • Bottled spring water
  • Mini brioche sand­wiches, assorted, with veg­e­tar­ian options
  • Smoked Applewood bacon and egg flan on puff pastry
  • Smoked Salmon Platter with crème fraîche, capers, lemon, tomato on the side
  • Breakfast sweets assorted from Patisserie Poupon and bagels
  • Berries with fresh whipped cream on the side
  • Mango with gin­ger and pink peppercorns

Spring Wedding Menu, Small Plate Style

  • Threads of duck breast with chipo­tle sauce on a won­ton leaf
  • Goat cheese balls with caramelized onions and aca­cia honey
  • Vegetarian Tartlets
  • Olive oil roasted shrimp with lemon-anchovy aioli
  • Grapefruit, gar­den pea, and pep­per­mint amuse-gueule
  • Asparagus with orange butter
  • Shredded Pork with pome­gran­ate and orange on mini brioche
  • Haricots verts, Provencal style
  • Watercress and endive salad with walnuts
  • Croquembouche with strawberries

Brunch Menu

  • Cinnamon French toast with Fruit com­pote, made with brioche
  • Roasted Apples or pears in wine
  • Tunisian Organic Omelette with sausage, potato and peppers
  • Mango with red pep­per and ginger
  • Roasted salmon, Catalan style (orange juice, orange zest, olive oil, capers, dill) served on a bed of spinach
  • Slow-roasted new pota­toes with thyme and rosemary

Azafrán, café & catering | STScI, 3700 San Martin Drive, Baltimore, MD 21218 | p 410 338 4757 | azafran AT cafeazafran DOT bizAzafrán on Facebook Alikimia on Facebook Azafrán on Facebook