Salt redux

Human # 1 and I went to Salt Tasting Room again for lunch. This time I remembered my camera. Even though we were late for lunch (2 pm) the place was hopping, totally unlike Saturday.

We took seats at the communal long table and immediately started chatting with some Vancouverites and who brought a Scottish friend. Quicky the conversation turned from food to the location of the restaurant on the edge of Gastown in an admittedly scary area. The local couple was extremely surprised that we tourists ventured this far. Being from between Baltimore and DC, and having worked in or near scuzzy areas of each, I have a pretty high tolerance. That said, a lot of the area outside Salt isn't one that I would hang around in at night. I had no issue with Human # 3 and Brother walking through together in the afternoon, though. But this time, maybe it was the gray weather and an odd encounter with a homeless man, I felt more nervous.



Anyway, we both asked the staff to pick our food and pair it with wines. Mine was cheese and Human # 1's was a mix. The sommelier gave us the same 3 wines. Possibly I have I love big dry wines on my forehead. It was awesome. First was a grigio from Van Western Vineyards, in Naramata, British Columbia. It was very dry, crisp with a bit of acidity. Next was a M. Chapoutier Tavel rose. I loved it. With apologies to my good friend MK, who loves white zin, this is not your stereotypical rose. Dry. Crisp. Light red rather than pink. Slight mineral feel. Finally we had a red blend, mostly Malbec, with some Cabernet Savignon and I think some merlot. I have my paper, but I can't read the handwriting on the name, unfortunately.



My plate started with a beautiful blue, Valdeon, served with honey. Next was Manchego with marcona almonds. This might be the greatest dessert combination on earth. Finally I had an amazing jeune mimolette with pressed date bread.



Human # 1 had a lovely combination of meats and cheeses. First, a capicollo with Guinness mustard, then a French comte cheese with the marcona almonds, and finally varazi with cornichons.


Of course, at this point we decided to order another tasting plate. We had the oka from Quebec, along with those divine marcona almonds, a cheese called poacher from Lincolnshire with olives, and pancetta with Guinness mustard.



We of course had dessert, again the Stilton cheesecake with fig compote and the chocolate mouse.

Tasty. The area's not that bad, and it's totally worth it.

Salt Tasting Room

Salt Tasting Room has an interesting concept - no kitchen, just meats, cheeses, bread, condiments, desserts, wines, beers, etc. It was awesome, incredibly so. I forgot to take pictures in the restaurant so unfortunately all I have now is some pictures of the papers they gave us, and some really awful cell phone pictures, which unfortunately I am having some trouble uploading. I'll edit this when I have a better connection.

The location in Gastown, at 45 Blood Alley, was interesting. When we arrived a wedding party was taking photos. The surrounding streets were posh, but the alley was, well, an alley. That part of Gastown is slightly on the edge of a not-s0-great area of Vancouver, as we found out when we walked back and got slightly turned around. Okay, hobbled back.

We each ordered a tasting plate, Human # 1 and I had our plates paired with wine flights, while Human # 3 had a big bear beer bottle with her tasting plate. We shared two desserts - a sublime Stilton cheesecake (and I think I licked the plate), and a chocolate mousse over a layer of apricot preserves. The chocolate mousse was very, very good, and the salt crystals on top were sublime. That said, it was simply classic French chocolate mousse, well executed, but not special. The Stilton cheesecake, on the other hand, was beautiful, layers of flavor and an amazing texture.

I chose my own cheeses. I chose a tallegio, an Italian semi soft dessert cheese, which was paired with a dry Italian red, Renato Fenocchio Dolcetto. Next I had an Oka, which was new to me. It's a semi-soft nutty cheese from Quebec. This particular cheese had a round, creamy, fatty mouth feel. The cheese was paired with a sherry, Alvears Amontillado. While I appreciated it, I have to admit I didn't really care for the sherry. It was just a bit too sweet for me. Finally, I had a beautiful, creamy Brie from British Columbia, paired with a lovely steel-aged Chardonnay from British Columbia, Joie Un-Oaked Chardonnay, which I found crisp and refreshing, despite a hint of residual sugar.

Human # 1 ordered the BC plate and BC wine flight. Salt chose the foods and the wines, illustrating the best of local foodstuffs. Toscano Salami with cipollini onions was paired with Joie Chardonnay. Though I really liked the Joie, Human # 1 hated it, and described it as apple juice. Ironically he likes the residual sugar and I love the dry wines. He does like his chardonnays with more oak, though. Ash camembert with Okanagan apple chips was paired with a Sandhill Viognier. Oh my god was that cheese good. And I really liked the wine (I traded for my sherry). A pancetta casalingo with quince was paired with Pentage Cabernet Franc. Now, I hate cabernet franc. What's supposed to be earthy tastes like muddy to me, and I swear I taste something moldy in every cab franc. So I'll say this - I didn't want to spit it out. Human # 1 absolutely loved it.

Human # 3 ordered the cheesemonger plate, three cheeses and condiments of the staff's choosing. A French Roquefort was paired with quince, and a British Comte was paired with Marcona almonds. However the best of the plate was a Jeune Mimolette with Spanish pressed date bread. The four of us - including one adamant non-foodie - nearly fought over it. To say it was awesome isn't enough.

The space was interesting - funky, halfway between a butcher's shop and a coffee shop. Very industrial chic. The menu changes constantly and is placed on the chalk board.

By the way, I'd love to see something like this locally!