Want to go?
WHAT: Salar Restaurant
WHERE: 400-410 East Fifth St., Dayton
RESTAURANT WEEK: Special three-course meal served through Sunday, July 31
REGULAR HOURS: Bar opens at 4 p.m., Monday-Saturday; kitchen opens at 5 p.m., Monday-Saturday. Closed Sunday.
INFO: http://salarrestaurant.com/ or 937-203-3999
I'm basking in the afterglow of a flawless meal.
Such an experience is rare, maybe only once in a decade. If you're lucky, twice in a decade.
RELATED
>> Restaurant Week: More than chicken at Nelly's
The offerings my dining companion and I tried at Salar were perfect and stunningly presented in a comfy and ultra-modern ambiance.
FIRST, THE COCKTAILS:
Salar's specials this week include its signature bourbon drink. The House Old-Fashioned is made with Old Grandad 100 Proof Bourbon, Angostura bitters, house-made orange bitters and Demerara. It's served with enough orange peel that, as you bring the drink to your mouth, your nose revels in the fragrant mingling of citrus and amber-colored elixir made in the Bluegrass State. "I can feel the 'Kentucky hug' spreading across my chest," said Beth Meece, my dining companion.
NEXT, THE APPETIZERS:
We chose the Tilapia Cebiche, thinly sliced fresh tilapia macerated in fresh lime juice, red onions and spices; and the Chicken Chicharrone, chicken thigh strips marinated and deep fried, served with a lime, cilantro, yellow Peruvian chili pepper sauce. A popular dish from Peru, the cebiche is raw fish cured in citrus juice. It is served cold -- perfect on a sultry summer evening. The chicharrone is a little like American fried chicken, but brightened with citrus, herbs and a pepper sauce that commands authority. Be forewarned that those chili peppers are indeed spicy.
We had an extremely difficult time deciding among the possibilites, but finally ordered Pork Filet Mignon, grilled pork filet mignon topped with a sauce of sweet port wine, Peruvian purple corn juice and dried cherries served on a bed of roasted purple cabbage and mashed potatoes. The pork was one of the three entree offerings in the $25.16 range. We also ordered the Pecan & Sage Encrusted Salmon, a luscious filet served with chardonnay and saffron sauce, yucca puree and haricot verts. We ordered the salmon, which was one of the three offerings in the $30.16 range, medium.
The flirty sweetness of both entrees made them heavenly, and if forced to make a choice as to which of the two entrees is better, both Beth and I would fail.
NEXT, WINE:
Halfway through our entrees, we ordered sweet wines. Why wait for dessert? I had a glass of Pascual Toso Brut from Argentina -- a Chardonnay sparkling wine with orchard fruit aromas and flavors. Beth had a glass of Bodega Norton Late Harvest Sweet Moscato, also from Argentina -- a sweet wine with intense tropical and floral notes with a delicate touch of citrus. The wines complimented the luscious sweetness of both entrees.
FINALLY, DESSERT:
Our bill came to $86.14, a bargain for such near-religious, gastronimal ecstasy.
Executive Chef Margot Blondet, who hails from Peru, is a culinary genius who mixes traditional Peruvian, French and Mediterranean cuisine into brilliant masterpieces, and she's taught her staff to execute the dining experience impeccably. "We love doing Restaurant Week because it brings in people who have never tried Salar before," said our server, Brooke Cox. "What we have to offer is fresh, made from scratch, down to the cocktails. All fresh ingredients."
Dining at Salar have always been excellent, and after my Restaurant Week experience, I regard it as my No. 1 favorite restaurant in the greater Dayton area.
Salar will be participating in Restaurant Week through Saturday (the restaurant is closed Sundays).
About the Author