Downtown Peoria restaurant receives 'prestigious recognition'

Cassidy Waigand, Peoria Journal Star

Updated March 12, 2024 at 7:43 AM·2 min read

Downtown Peoria's Saffron Social is among 98 restaurants to recently receive the Distinguished Restaurants of North America Award of Excellence.

Less than 850 restaurants throughout the United States have received the award, according to the organization’s website. The Distinguished Restaurants of North America, known as DiRōNA, also recognizes restaurants in the Caribbean, central America, Canada and Mexico.

Saffron Social, which is part of Travis Mohlenbrink’s Spice Hospitality Group, opened on Sept. 13, 2023. The restaurant’s dinner menu features a roasted bone marrow appetizer, filet, cherry glazed salmon, breaded pork piccata and more. The business includes a separate lunch menu and hosts happy hour from 3 p.m. to 5 p.m.

“Our entire team is humbled and honored that, within 90 days of opening, we were not only nominated and vetted but also received the award,” Mohlenbrink said in a press release. “I think it speaks volumes of the outstanding quality of product served and service performed daily at Saffron Social.”

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The Distinguished Restaurants of North America announced the recent recipients last month. According to its website, the organization works to “identify and honor exceptional fine dining establishments that provide an unforgettable culinary journey for their patrons.”

Saffron Social opened in downtown Peoria on Sept. 13, 2023. The restaurant offers steaks, seafood, salads and more.

A press release from Saffron Social noted that the restaurant’s food, service and atmosphere were each “meticulously scrutinized” before the establishment was able to receive the award. Mohlenbrink said the business’s staff “played an instrumental role in achieving this prestigious recognition.”

Saffron Social is one of nine restaurants with DiRōNA awards in Illinois. The majority are located in and around Chicago.

In 2018, Troy Ummel's Connected became the first Peoria restaurant to receive the award. The establishment, located at 3218 N. Dries Lane, opened in 2009. The menu features pastas, veal, seafood, filet mignon and more.

Community members can nominate restaurants for the DiRōNA award at https://dirona.com/nominate-a-restaurant/.

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