There are many restaurants still participating in Restaurant Week. See the list HERE for participating restaurants and special prices.
The place: We jumped at the chance to dine at Salar, one of the newer offerings in the Oregon District that has been everything from a jazz bar, to an antiques emporium, and likely everything in between in its 150-plus year history. The brick walls are a big part of the charm of Salar, and what they’ve done inside is wonderful. It’s clean, simple, modern but with a nice and cozy feel. Delicate lighting makes Salar a great place for an intimate dinner, after-work cocktails or a power business place.
It boasts two full bars, a main dining room, a casual place to lounge along with a dining room for private get-togethers. We loved the view, with full-wall windows overlooking the brick-lined Fifth Street.
Le Menu: Salar specializes in Latin American, Mediterranean and Modern American cuisine. Dining at Salar gives you a taste of the world, with culinary influences from Spain, Italy, China, Japan, even West Africa. Here you’ll find dishes that are “both comfortable and unique.”
Salar’s Restaurant Week deal is some deal. It comes with an appetizer, entree and dessert for either $20.14 or $25.14. There are seven entrees to choose from.
What we had:
- Goat Cheese and Marcona Salad: Baby arugula leaves, toasted marcona almonds, goat cheese, raspberries and wine jelly dressing. Delicious! "The cheese is so wonderful and creamy. It makes me want to pet a goat!" Connie said. Sandy looked at her like she had a screw loose, then dove into her dish.
- Chicken Chicharonnes: Marinated chicken thigh strips served with yellow Peruvian chili pepper sauce and lime. "This plate is huge! It's a meal in itself!" Sandy said. "Great!" Connie said. "You won't mind if I have some, too!" So Connie dug in and was glad she did.
- Pecan and Sage Encrusted Salmon: Served with chardonnay and saffron sauce, yucca puree and green beans. "Yum! Yum! Yum!" Connie said. She offered Sandy a bite, which she gladly enjoyed. "Yum Yum!" Sandy mimicked. Not being a seafood fan, this was as much as Connie could expect. Except for the fact that Salar's Salmon has the best chance to turn Sandy into a seafood lover.
- Beef Tenderloin Skewer: 6 ounces marinated and grilled, served with blue cheese risotto, bacon herb roasted cherry tomatoes and chimichurri sauce. Tastes like little bites of heaven on a stick. And the other offerings on the plate were pretty good as well. The cherry tomatoes were hot and crisp, delicious. The associated potatoes blended with fresh peas were a nice complement.
- Soft Vanilla Cake with Peach Liquor and Sweetened Milks: A perfectly beautiful little sweet cake served with a strawberry slice. Just the right size after a big meal.
- Chocolate Cheese Cake: Chocolate. Cheese. Cake. Made by scratch. Need we say more?
The place: Salar, 400 E. 5th St, Dayton; (937) 203-3999; for more information, go to http://salarrestaurant.com/
Hours: Monday and Tuesday, 5 to 9 p.m.; Wednesday, 5 to 9:30 p.m., Friday and Saturday, 5 to 11 p.m.
Epilogue: Connie Post of the Dayton Daily News and Sandy Collins of News Talk Radio WHIO (95.7 FM/AM 1290) are two of our Dining Divas. They suffer through these frigid winter reviews, with nary an electric glove nor heated drawers, to enjoy amazing local restaurant fare, which they, in turn, tell you about here. Somebody has to do it. You can contact The DDN's Dining Divas at life@coxinc.com.
Restaurant Week (extended through Feb. 8 or 9) is a great time to discover new dining experiences at affordable prices. Participating restaurants set their three-course meals for $20.14, $25.14 or $30.14 per person, with $1 donated to a local charity. Check with individual restaurants about their specials and hours.
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