Salt

HORRIBLE.
Pros: My drink
Cons: EVERYTHING else.
It was a birthday dinner for the bf. Considering all the great reviews, I wanted to finally try Salt. I was ecstatic. Our party was ready to go, and our waiter came literally once every 15 minutes. In between his rare appearances, we would see him stopping by every OTHER table except ours. He would literally duck out of the room as we tried to get his attention. Everyone except one of our party had arrived and we wanted to order. When we let him know we were ready to eat, he said, «I’d rather not take your order, I have a long spiel and I’d only like to say it once.» So we waited 5 more minutes for the person who was supposedly on their way. Since we could never get him to come over to our table, and we were ready to place orders, we ordered with the water boy and decided on a crayfish charcuterie. 30 minutes later, the one time he managed to come over, we asked about our plate. He said, oh, I never put it in, you should eat at the same time. WHAT? So, with the rare opportunity that presented itself, him actually coming to our table, we decided to order. That LONG spiel, was 5 minutes, if that. He did recommend a great drink for me, which was practically pink ice water by the time our food came an hour later. We were placing our orders, and 2 people in, the vegetarians in our party needed to know if the broth of a soup had meat in it. He said, oh, let me check, I’ll be back. So he left in the middle of taking our orders. No joke, we saw he visit 2 other tables when he finally came back out. He then came back to us to finish taking our order, and, made no mention of the contents of the broth. So, we asked, so, what about the broth? Oh, I FORGOT, let me go ask.
SIGH. Nothing worse than sitting in a restaurant, starving, while being ignored.
To spare you more of the painstaking details of being ignored, I’ll just move on to the food.
Bluh. I was SO excited about the duck fat fried chicken. Bluh. Ever had kitchen’s sink’s chicken and waffles? Yeah, just stick to theirs. It’s better, AND the service is better there too!
Well, their c&w: flavorless. The batter wasn’t strong enough, the chicken had no flavor other than pepper. As I read from another review, the chicken was too greasy and nothing really stood out about it either. The jalapeño cornbread waffle was interesting, but again, nothing standout about it. It wasn’t particularly interesting texture-​wise… it wasn’t fluffy or crunchy, just a mediocre waffle with interesting flavor combination.
Oh, and bf’s large plate pork belly? It was smaller than some of the small plates. I’ve been to 4 and 5 star places before, I know that the servings are small, but this was ridiculous.
We also got duck frites. I wouldn’t be surprised if they had been sitting out a while before our waiter woke up to bring them to us. They were lukewarm, and not impressive. Slightly more interesting than steak and shake fries and the same size and consistency.
More on our lovely service, our waiter again, got prissy, and TOLD us he wasn’t going to take our dessert order until everyone was finished eating dinner. This time, I said, no, we’d like to order now.
At the end our meal, he literally came back to our table of 7, dropped 1 bill on the table, and walked away while I was in mid sentence asking a question. Once again, waited another 5 minutes to try to get another waiter’s attention to ask him to wrangle our server. He acted as if he had never heard of splitting a bill before. We went through how we’d like the checks split twice. Of course he didn’t write it down and then came back with one party’s checks ran and confused before he drew up separate checks for 2 people in the same party and didn’t know how to run the cards. So we had to wait another 5 minutes for him to come back and try and manage to figure it out.
I finally got up and talked to the manager. «Oh, I wish I could’ve done something, you should’ve told me earlier.» SURE. You offer to do nothing and say you wish our experience had been better. Although I was a patron, I do not like patronizing. Being the manager and all, he was SO powerless to do anything… Then he said we should come back again, and offered nothing to make experience better. After reading what the manager did to make other Unilocalers sub-​par experiences better, I feel even more cheated.
This was the definition of anti-​climatic. Trust me, if you see Mike, just leave. You’ve saved yourself starvation and bad service.

Salt is definitely worth a visit. Great atmosphere, great drinks, great food, and a James Beard award finalist none the less! I’m sure I will find myself here again in the near future.
The Place: As you walk up to the door you feel like you’re walking up to an old colonial mansion… because you are. This makes for a really great, unique space to enjoy a meal. Really enjoyed the vibe and had a good waitress.
The Food: Myself and a friend went for dinner. We ordered drinks first. The complexity was impressive. We both ordered a couple small plates and shared. All were great! I would recommend a cocktail (or two) & the gnocchi for sure. Was very close to giving this place 5 stars.
The Bathroom: The bathroom at Salt is GREAT. As you walk up the stairs the décor changes. The bathroom feels like a hunter’s lounge. Pay it a visit!

My boyfriend and I came here for the first time last Saturday because I had heard so many good things about this place and wanted to try it for myself. In my 1.5+ years of living in St. Louis, this definitely ranks among the best restaurants that I’ve eaten at.
First, the food was delicious. I should clarify beforehand that their menu changes seasonally so the food I mention here only pertains to their winter menu. We started with their special brie cheese plate, which came with slices of mini-​toast, sliced almonds, dried cherries, and the best part: some sort of spicy apple jelly. I’m actually not a big fan of cheese, but I thought that the combination of ingredients worked really well, especially the apple jelly, which created a neat complement to the creaminess of the cheese. My boyfriend, on the other hand, thought that this was the best part of his meal of the night.
For my entrée, I ordered their seared trout, which came with an arugula salad (I love arugula!!) and a poached egg on top a bed of potato hash. I think that a lot of restaurants tend to overcook their fish, but the trout I had was amazingly tender and juicy. The poached egg was also cooked to perfection: not too runny (I hate it when i cut open an egg and the yolk ends up running all over my plate) yet not too solid/​dry either. I can only imagine how good their eggs benedict would be.
My boyfriend got a mix of vegetarian small plates: the Salt salad, a risotto, and a third thing that I just can’t remember. I don’t know what exactly was in the risotto, but it was simple yet delicious. If you are vegetarian, this is definitely something that I highly recommend. Three small plates were more than enough; I would actually recommending getting two instead if you want enough to substitute as an entrée.
Service here is also great. Our waiter was patient and explained various questions we had about the menu. He also provided pretty elaborate descriptions of the specials and the wines (although it did seem as if he was simply reciting words that he had committed to memory as opposed to actually understanding the complexity of the wine).
Right now, Unilocal says that the dress code is «casual» but I would err more on the side of dressy than casual. Quite a number of people were in formal attire when we went.
In summary, great food, great ambience, great service. A well-​deserved 5 stars!

Salt was definitely on the top of my list as it was a James Beard Award semifinalist this year. We decided to stop by on a Sunday morning for brunch rather than dinner since we couldn’t get a reservation the previous night. Was expected to be a bit more packed but it was pretty empty that Sunday.
Brunch menu is very simple with many menu items you’d expect from a brunch spot: waffles, pancakes, steak & eggs, omelette etc. I started with the their soup of the day, which was French Onion Soup just because I’m a sucker for it. Soup was good, but not the best I’ve had. The highlight was the thick layer of Swiss cheese! You don’t really taste or see the bread factor of the French Onion until you start digging for it.
I was very tempted to get the waffle of the day, which was a Root Beer Waffle! Instead, I went for the Hash & Eggs since I was craving something hearty. It was totally not what I expected though. I did expect a large plate of hash and potatoes with fried eggs, but what you get is a small portion of their corned beef with potato hash, served with two poached eggs. Not gonna lie, I was disappointed with the portion but the corned beef hash was very tasty! The corned beef is definitely the star since it is made in-​house. I asked for my eggs to be runny, and the poached eggs were perfect. Comes in little cups so I can just pop it and go all crazy with the yolk!
Ask for their homemade ketchup too! It’s not as sweet and vinegary as traditional ketchup, more like a seasoned tomato purée, but it’s very refreshing. It’s perfect with the Duck Fat Frites! We saw that on the menu and we had to get it. Rather than thick cuts, it’s like shoestring fries here so you get these very crispy and crunchy fries. You don’t feel too greased up eating it too.
Also had a bit of the Red Velvet Pancakes, and I liked it quite a bit. You get 3 smaller size pancakes with chocolate chips infused in the red pancakes. The best part was definitely the roasted banana whipped cream. Smooth, creamy, and banana-​y!
Rather than the typical huge portions for brunch, Salt is more delicate, and tries to add their own little spin to classics, not that I mind at all!

This morning was a glorious morning. Why, you ask? Because I woke up and we finally were getting a little much needed rain. Oh, and I was FINALLY experiencing brunch at Salt.
Their dinner menu is exceptional, so I went in with my hopes sitting on the top of Mt. Everest. Naturally, they aim to please. We actually had the same waiter from our first visit to Salt over a month ago… and he remembered us. This place is just too impressive.
We were some of the firsts guests in there and were promptly brought our waters and ordered coffee (fresh, hot, and strong). Trying to decide what to order was painful… how am I supposed to pick just one or two items? It’s not fair. But I finally settled on the biscuit and gravy and the 2 eggs and toast. Wow. Wow Wow Wow. How are these two plates only equivalent to $ 7? I’m not complaining, just in awe of Salt’s glory. The biscuit was fluffy and so delicious, it mopped up the thick gravy and really felt like «home». Seriously the perfect choice for a rainy morning. The eggs I had over easy and the yolks broke in that ‘just right’ kind of way. The toast was good, but covered in the apricot jam that was on the side? Dear lord. I want to order a tub of that jam for every single dish I ever make. It’s a love affair I’m not ready to give up. Seriously, that jam alone is worth a brunch visit!

Set in a beautiful mansion off Lindell, with a lovely patio, & simple, clean décor, this restaurant is a very comfortable setting for brunch.
We ordered the rosemary monchego, the white cheddar, bacon, egg & cheese risotto, french toast, & the eggs benedict. Everything was delicious. We also had great cocktails.
My only criticism is that the menu, while tasty, is too short. More options would take this spot over the top.

Oh, I am so in love.
I desperately wanted to make it to Salt before I moved out of Saint Louis last year, but I didn’t make it (it had just opened).
It was everything I expected/​wanted and more.
Beautiful bar and indoor seating. Upstairs has room for larger parties.
Beautiful understated outdoor seating.
Easy and simple menu.
Herbs and veggies grown right on the property.
Unexpecteds?
It’s a big white house. You might miss it when driving past. Doesn’t look like a restaurant.
Used to be a funeral home. May have some ghostly guests join you.
Salt is just one of those rare places that takes pride in everything: menu, setting, presentation, plating, flavors, seasonality, locality, oh, and service.
You need to go. On behalf of the guy who doesn’t live in the Lou.

Bar review only that’s so so
Bouncing around town from bar to bar we stopped into Salt. This was my first visit and my hosts second. Sitting the in the dimly lit and packed bar, the table service was quick. That was the only thing. We ordered 3 specialty cocktails and the duck fat fries. No beverages to speak of as the fries arrive. Sure these are string fries but way too stringy. Hard to pick up, hold and dip in the yummy aioli mayo.
Finally our drinks arrived and I enjoyed the Salt Smash with bourbon. Nice job
Christina was a huge help and I look forward to my next visit only next time, with a little more speed on the adult beverages.

SUPER EXPENSIVE and not good.
The bar area is FREEZING cold.
The food is super overpriced and not that good.
The server was so slow it was to the point we were going to ask for the manager.
We ordered:
The 9 $ scallop (one scallop)
The gnocchi (was potato based and covered in cranberries and granola, WEIRD)
The risotto/​ (this was pretty ok, but still weird)
While waiting for the server to bring us some water and the bill, we were discussing where we would go for some food that was worth both our time and money!
I would not recommend this place to anyone!

My friend took me here for bunch. When we walked in, I was shocked by how empty it was. The waiter greeted us and we chose a nice sunny spot to sit down. They had cute little dishes with spoons for salt and pepper. There was art on the wall and the space was lovely.
We each got a drink and also shared 4 things. When I asked to look at the receipt, it wasn’t extraordinarily expensive and we were STUFFED.
Everything we had was great.
The rillette was amazing. Salty, flavorful, and perfectly balanced with the marmalade.
The duck fat frites came out crispy and sizzling. I loved it. And it came with sauces made by the restaurant. I was really impressed with their ketchup! Who would think I would be impressed by ketchup!!!
And then there was the poached egg. Pretty, well cooked, delicious. I couldn’t ask for more. Each bite was great and the sauce made me happy too!
Lastly, the apple tart with caramel ice cream. The ice cream was from Serendipity. It was wonderful. The tart complemented the ice cream really well. My friend and I were already full by then, so we didn’t think we’d finish it. However, it was soooo good we just gobbled it right up.
I can’t wait to go back here! Maybe I can convince my bf to go with me one of these days.

I have had Salt on my ‘to try’ list for some time. This weekend afforded the opportunity to make a trip to CWE for a light bite to eat.
The place is very easy to miss. Basically look for the all white house looking structure in the row of mansions and condos on Lindell. They’ve added a large white banner with their name out front. But the white banner with gray lettering doesn’t jump out.
Inside the place is super cool. A dark bar area contrasts white walled dining rooms with interesting art throughout the place. As I said before, I wasn’t too hungry so we didn’t order any of the main entrees. Instead we ordered a couple of small plates, a bunch of drinks and a dessert. To start we had the pickled pork tongue and one of their selection of cheeses. Neither jumped out. I expected something more from the pork tongue… but it wasn’t there. Basically it was the texture of a dense piece of pot roast meat with no unique flavor other than the tart pickling sauce. Same with the cheese… nothing unique.
The dessert was better… we ordered the chocolate brulee. It was super yummy with carmelized sugar atop that gave each bite a little crunch.
The drinks were very good too. We tried a few but their signature salt smash stood out as the best. Our server was awesome and picked out all the drinks for us. Even a couple that were not on the menu.
It’s funny how all the elements of the place contrast but still seem to work. The dark bar and white dining room. The white table clothes but waiters with tattoos and jeans on. The intricate menu but Jimi Hendrix playing in the dining room… and just a touch louder than your used to in a restaurant.
I liked salt, and would definitely come back again. But for upscale dining, there are so many other places that offered food that stands out. Salts grub… or the few dishes I tried, were good, not great.

I’ve been talking for weeks about how badly I wanted to try brunch at Salt after falling in love with their dinner menu, and this weekend I did just that. How would I describe the experience? Lovely. Dreamy. Delicious.
It’s amazing to me that the place doesn’t get packed for brunch yet, considering how busy they are at night and also considering what they offer on the menu. I’m alright with it though because it meant extremely fast service and a quieter atmosphere to catch up with a friend! Salt looks as gorgeous as ever with the early sun pouring through the windows. Something about the neutral colors and soft accents combined with the locally grown ingredients just fits with a Sunday morning.
Our server was fantastic & quickly had mimosas ready for us and we decided just to get a few things to share, which is my favorite way to do it. First up? The biscuits and gravy. While aesthetically it’s not the most attractive dish to look at, it completely makes up for that in taste. The biscuits were soft and easy to cut through with a fork, and that gravy is a force to be reckoned with. The perfect amount of sausage combined with the creamy mix of flour and salt (and I’m sure many other things) was so satisfying without being too heavy. The French toast was next and it was hearty but not overpowering with sweetness, and a little syrup on top was all it needed to be very good. The best part was that it came with two crispy pieces of bacon, which were soon also covered with syrup. The frittata rounded out our brunch, and was filled with some veggies and topped with a cheddar cheese. It was savory and so satisfying — the only bad thing I have to say about that one is that there was a TON of oil sitting on top, and about a quarter of an inch of oil underneath. Needless to say I felt a little guilty piling that one in.
As good as the food was, the best part of the morning was after the meal! My favorite server in the world was there, Kentucky… I’ve gotten comments from a lot of people that they also love her. She works at Sanctuaria and manages at Salt on the weekends, and she’s hands down the best server I’ve ever had. She came out to say hi and I told her that she gets quite a bit of Unilocal love! At this point the place was almost empty, so we explored and checked out the basement and wandered around the second floor as well. I can’t explain it, it’s just so eerie but in a really cool way. I still can’t shake the fact that it’s an old funeral home. Each floor is so different than the other ones, and I definitely recommend touring every part of it.
I already knew I loved Salt, but this brunch truly exceeded my expectations and made me feel lucky to live in St. Louis and to be able to experience such a world class restaurant.

St. Louis definitely needed a place like this.
It’s charming, homey, and convenient.
And a homage to pork. It’s one restaurant that I don’t take vegetarians (or some Jews).
I’ve been here numerous times and have never been disappointed by the food. All things pork are done very, very well. Pork and duck. Two of my favorite animals to eat. Duck-​fat fries are delicious, as is their homemade ketchup. Their meatballs with blackberry jam are absolutely delicious and are served in THE CUTEST little piggy dish (I want one for myself). I’m actually not a fan of their mussels (too much chorizo, I think it overwhelms the mussel-​ness), but others absolutely love it. I love blueberry-​pear-​pork jowl bacon salad. A lot.
Main courses are equally delicious, from the pork, duck, fish, and chicken. You really can’t go wrong.
I really, really want to give them five stars, but I can’t, for two reasons.
The service is sooooo hit-​or-​miss. While the servers themselves are always polite and charming, there are still kinks in the system. My last dinner there lasted four hours… and not because we ate four hours worth of courses. They were just understaffed and wanted to give the attention their food deserved to their patrons. Luckily I didn’t hate my dining companions.
I have mixed feelings about the cocktails. They sound tasty when described on the menu, but I find them to be overly-​complicated. There’s just so much going on with some of them. Drinks can be complicated and tasty, but these are just a little below stellar for me. And I can love a cocktail that only has three or four ingredients, too, you know? Pretty good wine list, though.

I am going to start by saying I am a normal tee-​shirt and jeans guy with great taste for food but I am living modestly and do not eat out in trendy or nice places often, that type of eating out is a treat for me.
I have seen Salt come up a number of times and have been interested in going there for some time. I will admit at first glance the food in some of the pictures on Unilocal is a little strange and look creative but lack a certain kind of plating finesse that you would expect from an establishment that looks so nice inside and out.
Looks aside I dove into driving almost 30+ miles one way for a Lunch business meeting that was being held at Salt. My heart actually skipped a beat when I got the invite because I had only shortly before even heard that this place existed.
I was actually going to post a question before I went about what I should try and then I found out it was going to be a buffet, which honestly scared and thrilled me. I figured I could get whatever I wanted and if I liked it I could go back for more, or if I hated it I would not feel bad about paying for it.
Walking into Salt you get the feeling that they really pored some heavy cash into this place and wanted you to feel comfortable in the space they created. The décor is amazing and I love the small touches like the peppers growing in the planters around the outside seating area.
On to the food, I got my first plate and was pleasantly surprised by how great the food looked. I had a beef hanger steak?, pork steak w/​bacon, strawberries with what tasted like Carmel whip cream, a risotto, grilled asparagus, grilled corn, a small salad, some sweet bread and lemon loaf.
I know; I took a little bit of everything and felt like a pig. I loved the steak and even though the steak was pretty much well done it was juicy and tender and full of spice and flavor, well done is hard to pull off so I give them props for that. The pork steak had chunks of thick soft bacon that were unbelievably tasty and the steak it self was juicy and tender and full of immense flavor.
The risotto was a little crunchy and was not that great, but you know one bad thing didn’t ruin it. Not sure what the flavor was, it was a little hard to distinguish.
The salad was incredible and the cheese almost exploded in my mouth, I have never had cheese have such powerful flavor. (I still have no clue what type of cheese it was, but it was awesome!)
The corn was a little dry but tasty and needed butter and salt (huh go figure) to complete that grilled flavor they were attempting.
The bread was soft and moist and had almost a hint of a sweet fruit.
I am not an asparagus fan at all but I think that is because I have never had it here. I will always try something at least once and I am glad I did, the grilled flavor was incredible and it was soft and not overly pungent like I have had before. I think they should have put the oils they put on this on the corn and it would have completed it.
The strawberries and whip cream were pretty stellar, the quality of the berries really set it off and what ever they added to the whip cream made it simply heavenly.
Lastly the lemon loaf or that is what I am calling it, was so delicious I loved the little pieces of lemon zest that they had speckled throughout the loaf.
I am not a foodie or a food snob so take my review with a grain of salt, I am just a normal guy and I really liked this restaurant. I know I had an unusual experience being it was a buffet but even that was out of the park on flavor and presentation. The staff was amazing and helpful and I will be returning here for a meal sometime soon.
P. S. why did it take till I went for someone to take a friggin picture of this darn place, I drove straight past because it looked so much like a house. I think my picture should be the one you see first so we all can actually stop in sometime. :) Glad to make Salt my 100^th review!

Salt, you are worthy.
The Location: Pleasant approach, beautiful landscaping. This time of year, there’s blooming rhododendron and wisteria vine along the east parking perimeter. Diners pass by a wrought iron gate, through a small courtyard, and enter the side door into a handsome bar area. An approach like this sets a pleasant mood before you even see your table.
The Dining Room: Venerable 1920s home feel. High ceilings, large windows, plenty of natural light. It’s elegant without feeling uncomfortably formal. I’m not sure that I like the butcher paper over the tablecloth, which flipped up a few times when my napkin brushed against it, but maybe the idea is that it shaves some dollars off the cleaning cost.
The Cocktails: Salt Smash (make sure you bruise the chocolate mint with your straw, and drink through the straw from the bottom up, like a julep. It’s MUCH better that way) and a Modern Cocktail #2.
The Small Plates: No messing around with salads tonight, we went straight for the Duck Fat Frites and Braised Pork Belly. This was some of the best animal fat that I can imagine, sampled with a couple sturdy reds.
The Large Plate: Skirt Steak, excellent, with two unconventional drink choices: sparkling wine for her, and a Founders Red Rye pale ale for me, bottled, but still excellent.
The Staff: the hostess promptly greeted and seated us. Our server Ysennia was bright and bubbly, knowledgeable about the menu, and attentive to my wife’s gluten-​free requirement. Ysennia questioned the gluten-​free status of the potatoes that came with the skirt steak, which prompted a personal visit from Chef Wesley, who provided an answer, and a bowl of cooked vegetables, gratis. Thanks, Ysennia, we’d rather be safe than sorry. Wes, the leeks were fantastic.
The Conversation: Yes, the facility is an old funeral home, but there’s a reason that people came to these places for wakes and visitations: they were comfortable and gracious spaces. With a little creativity, the space has been recycled in a wonderful way. I imagine (and it is purely imagination) the old embalming room makes a good wine cellar. If your table mate isn’t sure about this place, remind her about the television show «Bones,» and how this place seems like a spot where Brennan and Booth might have a romantic encounter.
Science Teacher Spouse and I were glad we made Salt «Major Stop #1» on our 24-​hour wedding anniversary bash.

Went here on a Monday night for a friend’s birthday, in a group of 7 girls.
I really had seen this house many times and not realized it was Salt. I’m surprised there aren’t any signs anywhere, although word-​of-​mouth is pretty cool…
And apparently you walk in through the back not the front, like many believe… oops.
The bathrooms are… you have to see the bathrooms. Just go to the bathroom while you’re there (it’s a whole converted bedroom upstairs).
They even have a winery in the basement with a private room and low mural-​ed ceiling, also worth checking out!
I didn’t get a cocktail but everyone else got nearly 2 each and loved them all. Ask the waiter what he recommends based on your tastes, not a single person at the table was disappointed with theirs.
On to the food…
Everything sounded delicious but my budget wouldn’t allow me to eat freely here. One day I will. I wanted to try the seared scallop, until I found out it was just ONE scallop for $ 9…
So I went with the house-​made pasta that happened to be dumplings with broccolini and shrimp. It was delicious, although I think i missed the dumplings part, it just looked like regular flat noodle pasta to me.
It was also a tad salty for my taste but since it’s called Salt, I’ll let that slide…
The food did take about 40 minutes to come out, but they made up for it with a friendly owner coming by to chat us up many times. We brought a cake for the birthday girl and they even waived the cake cutting free, their reason? «Cuz y’all are just so darn cute».
The asparagus cheese gratin was delicious, and my friend was in love with her pork belly. The duck fat frites are probably the largest in portion size and were shared at the table.
Overall, a very pleasant dining experience made better by good company, great service, and a friendly owner. Not to mention the house itself is a huge conversation piece!
I will be back with the bf this summer.

After reading Erin G’s review of the pork belly and all the other raves, I had to come here. So at 10:45pm on a Thursday night my lady and I arrived for a late night snack. There were about 7 – 8 people hanging out at the large bar, including chef/​owner Wes Johnson. All the tables were empty. The bartender took our order and was super friendly. We were told the kitchen was closing at 11 (not midnight, as the website indicated).
After ordering we decided to walk around and check out the place. Who do we bump into but Wes Johnson, who then takes us on a personal tour of all the neat little rooms (including the bathrooms, check em out!) on the other floors and just seems like one of the coolest, friendliest people ever. If you can be enthusiatic giving tours to two random people at 11pm after you’ve probably been working all day, you deserve to be successful.
And right as we get back to the bar, our food has arrived. Does it get any better than that? Yes, it does. The food rocked. Pork belly, rabbit terrene, duck fat frites were all fantastic. And a bottle of Founders Red Rye, a lovely fruity/​hoppy beer. The damage? Around $ 30 including tip. Not bad at all.
I’m already planning my return trip.

St. Louis is so lucky that Wes Johnson selected our city and within our actual city limits to open Salt. Salt is going to give our county friends another reason to drive into the city besides a major sporting event.
The ambiance and layout of this new «hot» dining establishment is totally on mark. You can choose a cozy formal experience inside or a very casual informal one outside on the patio. Upstairs they offer two private rooms that are perfect for announcing an engagement or celebrating an anniversary or promotion.
When I saw the menu, I knew St. Louis had gotten itself another top notch restaurant. It reminded me so much of some of my favorite spots in Chicago. I couldn’t wait to begin ordering and either could Brad.
Here’s what we experienced:
Rosemary Manchango: sheep, spain hard $ 5
Rabbit, pistachio, Blueberry Terrene $ 5 (Brad ate this one I can’t bring myself to eat Thumper)
House Cured Citrus Gravlox $ 5
Pork and Black Garlic Rillette $ 6
Broiled Mussels $ 7
Seared Scallop $ 9
Wine Braised Marrow Bone $ 5
Duck Fat Frites $ 6
Mint BBQ’d Lamb Steak $ 16
Cheesecake $ 7
The house treated us to a sampling of Apple Braised Crispy Pork Belly and Pork and Fennel Meatballs. Yes, we were given a comp sampling but that has nothing to do with me giving them a 5 star rating. They earned it, big time!
I could make a meal out of the Broiled Mussels and the Seared Scallop. Pair them with a good white wine and I’d be in heaven.
I love lamb chops, but their lamb steak with mint bbq melted in my mouth. We give thumbs up for everything we experienced and look forward to going back to experience more of the menu and their Brunch.
For those who think I give too many «5 Star» ratings, and for those who thrive and feed on negative remarks, I personally didn’t like the pork and fennel meatballs that were given to us on comp. However, I will try them again.
The staff was on their A-​Game (Friday April 8) if they keep up the great service and Wes continues to serve up breath taking food, this will become a place to be seen.

When I heard the long-​abandoned old funeral home at 4356 Lindell was coming under new management, I groaned. «I’m going to have to start closing my blinds,» I thought — after all, the building is right next door to me; I can eavesdrop on conversations in the parking lot when I’m on my couch.
My apprehension, however, couldn’t have been more unfounded: I’m happy to announce, ladies and gentlemen of Unilocal,that I now have a new favorite St. Louis restaurant: Salt Restaurant and Bar.
The most unique thing about the restaurant — at least visibly — is the space, of course, and if you can believe it, it’s even more incredible inside than it looks from the outside. There are a ton of unique areas you can enjoy within the restaurant: a classy dining area, a luxurious marble bar. Upstairs is a bizarre room cloaked in red velvet straight out of that Arrested Development scene where the characters meet «Tony Wonder,» and there’s a secret wine cellar in the basement right next to a room that looks like the place where Jesus had his Last Supper. Needless to say, no matter whether you’re a lone Judas or with a big party, there’s a unique area in Salt for you.
Of course, I wouldn’t be raving about Salt if the uniqueness of the food didn’t match the appearance of the building. We opted for a selection of small plates, which dominate the menu, enjoying an apple braised crispy pork belly ($ 8), pork and fennel meatballs ($ 6), the soup of the day — a chilled ginger and carrot soup ($ 4) and a cheese plate («petite basque») served with candied chestnuts, shortbread, and homemade Ritz crackers ($ 4). The pork belly really stole the show for me – it was prepared at just the right consistency and accompanied by pickled spring vegetables, a perfect match for the rich dish.
We didn’t try any of the large plates, but a gentleman seated next to us seemed to deeply enjoy his large plate, a butter poached filet served with vegetables and a marrow bone ($ 17). They serve coffee here, too, a Goshen blend that’s «bolder than the one at Pi» — that’s the stuff.
We also enjoyed the opportunity to talk with the Executive Chef and Owner, Wes Johnson, during the evening, who told us a little bit about his plans for the restaurant, and it sounds like he’s totally on the right track — he’s a fun, adventurous guy for a very fun and adventurous cuisine and space.
Welcome to the Central West End, Salt. I couldn’t have a better neighbor.

Fabulous food, dining area, bar, service.
Located in large and opulent former historic home. This alone gives the dining areas lovely. The bar is not like a former home at all. It’s contemporary, classey, bar-​ambient; a nice bar.
They have a small parking lot or you can park on the street.
The small plates will satisfy the average person. These are not tiny plates like tapas. These are more like a reasonable portion of food –not too little, not too much. They contain enough to generously share as well.
Many of their menu items contain pork in some form. Several dishes include bacon. If you do not want to eat meat or bacon, I still highly recommend that you try Salt.
I had the gnocchi made with blue cheese, forest mushrooms, and fresh cubed green apple. It was heavenly. I paired this with their Felino «hobbs» Malbec, at the suggestion of my waiter Bob. He nailed the wine suggestion. Perfection!
For dessert I tried the figs and grits. This dessert is in need of tweaking, about which Bob and I discussed at length. The fig and mascarpone topping were perfect, the grit was too dense, too hard to cut with a spoon. Change the grits part and this could be an overall fantastic choice.
Finally, I had coffee with my dessert. The coffee was fantastic. Just what I like, brewed the way I like it. Too often I eat a great meal, only to be served a mediocre coffee too high in acid. Salt’s coffee was excellent. A great way to end the meal.
If you like the charm and aesthetics of historic homes and buildings, you will enjoy Salt. It’s quite nice inside and out. Patio is lovely too. You can dress for dinner, or show up in a polo, shorts, and tennis shoes (like I did). Excellent food, service, and ambiance. Oh, and background music is hip.
Thoroughly enjoyed my experience except for the dessert.
Update: I’ve decided to reduce my star rating, because I notice I am not as excited to return knowing that I could choose a *miss* on the menu not knowing in advance that the chef is *experimenting* and *refining* a recipe until after I’ve bought it, found it lacking, and then afterward learning they knew it might be a fail. If they had removed the item from my ticket I would be more inclined to return. Too bad, because for sure the gnocchi is fantastic.