Hello folks! I had the pleasure of trying a new restaurant in good ol' Sussex County. Like much of this state, folks with some money and more sophisticated palates are opening up pseudo fine dining restaurants in places you'd least expect it. Although Sussex County is generally known for its sprawling countryside and outdoor sports, it too has fallen victim to corporate interests and outlet malls.
With increased interest tends to come the restaurants. For the most part, it's usually the evil chain restaurant, and sometimes if you're lucky, an independently owned restaurant that brings a unique style to the area. This is what we thought about Salt.
Located on Route 206 in Sussex County, Salt used to be 76'ers...a place I never became familiar with. We always drove past it and never gave it a thought. Now, Salt has drawn a mixed crowd of local folks looking for a more interesting dining experience. They proudly boast a list of lesser known beers, and for those in Sussex who are most likely unfamiliar with the beers that Salt has to offer, the list is sure to please and possibly overwhelm. The rest of us "in the know" find these to be old hats, however, it's always nice to see a bar offering a different selection. On draft, they offer such selections as Blue Moon and Stella Artois. The rest of the beer list is pretty impressive, especially for a place like this in Sussex. It was great to see such beers as Rogue, Dogfish Head, Allagash, Trogue's...good American craft beers. To see the full beer list, visit their website at http://www.saltgastropub.com/.
After having to sit at the bar to wait for a table (though they told us on the phone that a reservation wouldn't be necessary), I sipped my Pinot Grigio, which I loved, and caught up with an old friend. Within about ten minutes, we were herded to our table. The bar area can be sort of cramped when you're sitting at the tables lining the walls. Otherwise, just about every stool was taken.
The dining room itself was open and well-lit. Our table was located next to the indoor air conditioner, which at first made the room feel comfortable. Give yourself a few minutes after drinking some beers and wine, and you'll feel hot in no time. They kept the temp set at 78 degrees, which I'm not sure was a fantastic idea with a dining room full of patrons. But anyway, it was comfortable for most of our stay. The tables and chairs were a mix of wicker and wood...I sort of felt like I could be in a department store with the lighting and table set up. I'm not sure how else to describe the decor...generally it was lacking any sort of feel...I'm not sure they really finished the dining room or had any particular style in mind. For the food and prices, I think there should have been a little more thought to the environment.
The staff all seemed to be a little younger and had their tattoos showing...another sort of new occurrence up in the country. Refreshing to see for sure. We didn't have too many questions, so I can't comment on whether or not the staff was all too knowledgeable on the offerings for the evening. I was disappointed to see though that the Bass special was crossed off the list. That would have been my first choice for dinner.
After ordering our drinks, we decided on the following appetizers: goat cheese croquettes - goat cheese coated in panko bread crumbs served with a side of a poached pear, greens, and a raspberry viniagrette; and mac 'n cheese - traditional mac 'n cheese topped with panko and deep fried parsley. The croquettes were pretty good...I expected more of an intense flavor from the goat cheese, but the panko were browned perfectly and had a great combination of texture. Take a taste of the goat cheese, greens, pear, and viniagrette, and you'll be satisfied...but you may notice that the viniagrette also lacked any punch. The mac 'n cheese was equally as good, but not great. I was disappointed to see that it was kind of watery...it had a great crust on top, and the herbs were interesting but didn't really impart any real flavor to the whole dish. Again, not all too flavorful but definitely not bad.
The menu's prices ranged on average from 12 to 25 bux for dinner, and around 8 for appetizers. The soups of the day sounded delicious. They offered a cold soup, smart with the weather we're having, and a hot soup as well. No one tried the soup, so no comment. Dinner selections for the evening included the lemon mint scallops, farfalle with roasted vegetables and goat cheese, the burger with "salt" fries, and two appetizers: the special cajun dusted scallops and roasted vegetable raviolis in a lemon thyme cream sauce.
One thing that occurred to me is that the roasted vegetables were all the same, and weren't all that seasonal. At this time of year, I expected to see zucchini and peppers, and was pleasantly surprised that it was sweet potato. Pleasantly because I just love sweet potato, but I was wondering why they chose these vegetables in particular. Not sure it's really a smart choice given that they could have great seasonal locally grown veggies, especially up there.
My partner's burger was overcooked...not a good thing for someone who loves beef, especially a good burger. The dish came with fries and three different mayonnaise based sauces on the plate, which offered different flavors, whether it was for dipping fries or putting on the burger. He's a burger purist, and commented that the burger was too thick, not that much flavor other than the charcoal. No love was put into the burger, and unfortunately, the comment was "probably the worst burger I've ever had, all I could taste was char".
Other diners commented that the scallops were "awesome", and the roasted vegetable farfalle was delicious. I tasted just about everyone's food, except the lemon mint scallops, and felt that the dishes were all very lackluster. The cream sauce in the farfalle was bland...I could barely taste the goat cheese, and the sweet potato was barely cooked through (though it was charred on the outside). As for my dishes, I had the cajun dusted scallops and roasted veggie ravioli. All I could tasted on the scallops were black pepper. Where was the cajun seasonings, the hot smoky flavor that they're known for? All black pepper. It came served on a bed of rice, some corn, and a corn puree. All lacking flavor and overwhelmingly had too much black pepper. The rice was mediocre and the corn puree bland. The scallops were cooked perfectly though.
The roasted veggie ravioli were pretty tasty. The sauce was delicate, as was the pasta itself. But again, the roasted vegetables were mainly onions and sweet potato...just a weird combination for the summertime and for a dish that is seemingly meant to be light. I did enjoy the ravioli though, but I think overall the chef and owners really need to re-think the dishes.
For a restaurant that bears as its name the most commonly used seasoning in all the world, the food actually lacked what the sign boasts: salt. I'm very sensitive to salt and use of sodium in all foods, so the fact that I barely tasted any, or any real flavor in any of the dishes, made me wonder what these folks are trying to do at this restaurant. Do they think the patrons in Sussex will marvel at the somewhat pricey menu and eclectic mix of food, and then overlook the fact that some of the selections don't make sense and that the food is for the most part disappointing? Don't get me wrong, this place has a lot of potential if they think a lot more about what they're serving, why they're serving it, and who they're serving it to. Even though Sussex County can often find itself the butt of some jokes, there are plenty of people who enjoy great food that's not just limited to steaks, burgers, and fries.
Oddly enough, you will have to use your salt shaker here at Salt. Or you may just want to stick to the bar for a great lesser known beer.
Ambience: ***
Service: ****
Food: ***
Overall: ***1/2
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
No comments:
Post a Comment