When it comes to healthy food, restaurant owner Jen Saffron and nutrition expert Leslie Bonci want to help you help yourself.
On Sunday, Nov. 7 at 10:30 a.m., the pair will debut their Facebook Live series, “Saffron and Sass.” Presented by Ya Jagoff Media, the monthly show will provide 20 minutes of food talk and demonstrations with a side of unfiltered fun. More-than-a-mouthful subjects range from kitchen appliances and seasonings to winter vegetables and local sourcing.
“Fresh food matters, especially this time of year with sniffles and chills,” says Bonci, the owner of Active Eating Advice, a nutrition consulting company. “Control what you can through diet. Make choices that empower you through food. It should be an experimental, enjoyable and nourishing taste adventure.”
Bonci has been dishing out nutritional advice with flavor for years.
Her clients include the National Dairy Council, Gatorade, General Mills and Douglas Labs. She is the nutrition consultant for the Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre, Carnegie Mellon University athletics and the Kansas City Chiefs. Bonci was previously the sports dietitian for the Pittsburgh Steelers, Pittsburgh Pirates, Pittsburgh Penguins, Toronto Blue Jays, Washington Nationals and the WNBA.
She’s also an author and a blogger whose weekly television segment, “The Winning Plate,” airs on KDKA’s “Pittsburgh Today Live.”
In other words, she enjoys chewing the fat about food.
Her pal Saffron is the perfect on-air partner.
Just a few months before the pandemic started, the witty restaurateur opened Sprezzatura, an Italian heritage-inspired community cafe and catering kitchen in Millvale. “Saffron and Sass” will be filmed at the eatery and episodes will stream on Facebook, where viewers can interact with the forthcoming foodies.
Located in a reclaimed building with a solar-powered kitchen, the BYOB establishment has been operating as a Gold Level Sustainable Pittsburgh Restaurant since day one. Saffron and her crew create menus from fresh, locally sourced goods to support area growers and the environment. When Covid hit, Saffron strengthened her community partnerships to help feed low-income families.
“Saffron and Sass” is just another way to connect with customers.
“Food is an experience,” Saffron says. “We don’t say, ‘Please come back and support local business’ we say, ‘Please come home and sit as long as you want.’”