They call Salare a chef-driven restaurant and a labor of love. Mr. and Mrs. Nutkin agreed to give it a try with me for one of our dinners. They recently returned from their honeymoon in Zion, and what better way to celebrate love, than dining in a restaurant that is a labor of love? The reviews have been positive and Salare has made Ravenna somewhat of a hotspot. Salare has a bit of southern influence that you can see in the cornbread, grits, and okra, but you can also taste Europe in the lamb au jus and duck confit. It may be eclectic, but it’s thoughtfully curated and wonderfully prepared.
Fried Okra – with pineapples and bacon. So no one likes okra, except for me, most of the South, and Mrs. Nutkin (thankfully), because it’s slimy and furry. Well, when you deep fry it in the most delicate and silk thin of batters, pair it with a hearty bacon and then punch it up with some pineapple, it’s not your average fried okra anymore. Granted, they probably should have cut the okra in half so some of the older ones weren’t so stringy, but overall, this is one of the best preparations of okra that I’ve eaten.
cornbread and sourdough – cornbread shaped like churros are still moist and tasty, though with a small corn meal crumb than your traditional cornbread. The sourdough had a bit of wheat flavor in it, which makes it a little more interesting than your normal sourdough.
lamb – with grilled sweet summer peaches, corn cream, and fennel. This was a nice play of savory and sweet, and a juicy lamb to boot without any hint of gaminess.
ahi spaghetti – with capers, niçoise olives, gremolata & bread crumbs. While this sounded like a light refreshing dish, it was sadly completely over-salted it was nearly inedible. The only saving grace was being able to pick out the tuna. I don’t like to dwell on the low points, but for as much acclaim as Salare receives, this was completely out of character and a complete disaster.
roasted duck – lobster mushrooms, broccoli, cauliflower liver mousse & giblets. We couldn’t quite find the mousse or giblets in this dish, but we did find confit duck leg. It had a nice crispy skin and plenty of juice.
goat’s milk cheesecake – goat cheese, millet quinoa crunch, lavender honey & lemon verbena granite. A tangy, sweet, and tart take on cheesecake that is a must try for any goat cheese lover. The combination isn’t too strange to turn off a less adventurous eater, and it does a fantastic job of showing the kitchen’s depth and understanding of ingredients in the thoughtful way they were prepared and combined. You have plenty of crunch from both the millet and granite, creamy cheesecake, and tartness from the oozing peaches. This is summer on a farm!
Cherry Pavlova – with cacao nibs, lemon thyme, berry coulis & elderflower mascarpone ice cream. One of the best pavlova’s I’ve had, less cloying sweet than most meringues and balanced with tart cherries. The cocoa nibs almost convinced me there were chocolate chips inside and the dessert was like the lighter, gluten-free version of a black forest cake.
Rainier cherry shrub – a sweet, but slightly vinegary soda with a fresh rainier cherry
The restaurant is busy and lively. It’s not a place for quiet conversation, but rather one for boisterous celebration. This is meant to be a neighborhood restaurant, but I’d be lucky if I could have a restaurant of this caliber just below my condo. Service is attentive, and the bartender quite masterful at his craft from mocktails to whiskey cocktails, there were only concoctions that left us wanting another.
Overall, we enjoyed immensely most of our dishes (save the disastrous pasta) and there’s a delicate carefulness in selecting the pairing of ingredients of each dish. Finding balance, even when the flavors aren’t overpowering, is an art. Dessert alone is worth a visit, and so is just hanging out at the bar.
We travel for new experiences to share, to see a new corner of the world so that we can expand beyond what we know. Salare brings a few corners of the world together in perfect harmony – if only we could do the same. To embrace our differences to become something greater than just our singular parts. Hawaiian okra – I’m talking to you! 🙂 I can’t wait to see where Salare will take us to next.
SUMMARY
Overall: happily ever after
Highlight: fried okra, cherry pavlova
Footnotes: make reservations, order a cocktail or two, order appetizer, entrée, and dessert – you’ll have plenty of room for all of it.