An Embarrassment of Riches at Saint Louis Saveurs

Is there too much good food in Greensboro?

It’s a champagne problem, to be sure—but champagne problems are still problems.

If you love to eat as much as I do, the answer to “What are we doing for dinner tonight?” is seldom a simple one. Especially in our city.

Vietnamese, Korean, Indian, Chinese, or Japanese? We’re spoiled for choice.

Mexican, Cuban, Dominican, Puerto Rican? Claro que si.

Last year, I was talking to someone from Senegal, and he lit up when I mentioned I was from Greensboro.

“You have to go to Saint Louis Saveurs!” he said. “If you like food from Senegal, that is the place!”

Did I like food from Senegal? I had no idea. I’ve had great food from Ethiopia and Nigeria in Greensboro, but Africa is an enormous continent with myriad cultures, and the cuisine varies widely.

When I found out it was less than a mile from my place, tucked next to a Circle K gas station off of West Wendover Avenue, I was furious I hadn’t already tried it. I’d been enjoying so much good food from so many places in this city, I had completely missed this new one. Unfortunately, when I made my way over there, the business had already cleared out. The space was too small for them, allowing take-out but not much in the way of dine-in. The parking lot, shared with the gas station, was kind of a nightmare.

I was sure I’d missed my chance until last month, when Saint Louis Saveurs opened in a new location on West Friendly Avenue. They’re now right across the street from Bandito Bodega, an Asian-Mexican fusion place that’s another favorite in our house.

Run by husband-and-wife owners Mouhmadou and Bator Cisse, the new restaurant still does a lot of take-out. But it has a few tables up front and more in a small back room if you’d like to eat in. What would I recommend? Multiple trips. Once I actually tried the place, I went back again the very next day and talked my wife into a dinner there later in the week. It’s that good.

The curry chicken had me wanting to lick my plate when I was done. I woke up in the middle of the night thinking about the djolof rice with lamb. The okra soup, the fish stew, the yucca and the plantains, the fataya meat pies—all so good I want to stop typing this and go back for the dishes I haven’t yet tried. These are deep and complex flavors that stick with you. Vegetarian or vegan? They’ve got you covered, too.

It’s a strange and disturbing time in America. Masked federal agents are descending on our communities to round up even legal immigrants with no criminal records. The president of the United States is publicly calling Somali immigrants “garbage” he doesn’t want here, saying “their country is no good for a reason.” Our nation has indefinitely suspended the 45-year-old U.S. refugee admissions program.

I feel so lucky right now to live in a city with a long history as a refugee resettlement area, where immigrants are such a vital part of who we are. Having so many people from so many parts of the world share their cultures with us is a great blessing. Breaking bread with them, sharing something as basic and universal as food, isn’t just an essential first step toward bridging gaps between people. It’s an unalloyed joy. Get out there this weekend and celebrate it.