RESTAURANT WEEK: Flawless dining at Salar

Salar's Chicken Chicharrone and chicken thigh strips marinated and deep fried, served with a lime, cilantro, yellow Peruvian chili pepper sauce. The dish is 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.

Salar's Chicken Chicharrone and chicken thigh strips marinated and deep fried, served with a lime, cilantro, yellow Peruvian chili pepper sauce. The dish is 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.
By Connie Post
July 28, 2016
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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.

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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.

We also ordered a House Margarita, made with fresh-squeezed lime juice, El Jimador Blanco, Cointreau and black lava salt. It's delicious and refreshing, and sophisticatedly tart enough to trigger a seductive sensation at the back of your jaw when you swallow.
Both cocktails are $7.50.

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.

Beth and I always share our food, so eating the two appetizers was a little like enjoying fire and ice.
NEXT, THE ENREES:

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 pork was succulent as it should be, and Beth fell in love with the Peruvian purple corn juice, which she described as "dessert gravy." Its lovely sweetness is a perfect accompaniment to the pork and potatoes.
The first bite of salmon made us think ahead to Thanksgiving. The encrustation of crushed pecans is caramelized, reminisicent of pecan pie, and the sage evoked thoughts of Southern-style dressing. The yucca puree looks like mashed potatoes, but has a sensuous, addictive texture (sort of a mashup between potatoes and sticky rice).

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.

The wines are $5 per glass or $20 per bottle.

FINALLY, DESSERT:

The menu offers Chocolate Mousse and "Chef Choice," which turned out to be Tres Leches, a sponge cake soaked in three types of milk -- evaporated and condensed milk as well as heavy cream. "This is the best Tres Leches I have ever had," Beth said. 
The Tres Leches is pure delight, so comforting that as a bite of it rests on the tastebuds, it completely shuts off all outside thoughts in your brain. You and the cake are one with the Universe. The mousse is also rich and smooth, as well as orgasmically chocolate-y.

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

Connie Post