Our love affair with SALT the Bistro

By Kate Kennedy Fri., Nov. 25 2011 at 1:47 PM

Happy Place: SALT the Bistro, 1047 Pearl Street, 303-444-7258.

The Hours: Daily from 3 to 6 p.m.

The Deals: $3 beers; $4 house wines; $4 element cocktails; $1-$5 small plates; $10-$15 large plates.

Were we happy? Flip the page to find out.

The Digs: For every five chain restaurants spewing grub on Boulder's Pearl Street Mall, there's an independent gem boasting a menu we'd love to try, a chef who isn't on a corporate salary and a bar full of talented mixologists who know just the right way to float our boat: SALT the Bistro is one of these places. Decked out in earthy wood tones with bright-colored accents, SALT is simple and rustic. The narrow room features a long bar, coupled with tables that reach all the way back to the kitchen, which has its own chef's counter. To top it off, the farm-to-table menu walks the walk, and the staff graciously bends over backwards.

The Verdict: SALT took us in on a chilly November evening, and we reveled in the scents of warm spices and roasting meats as we slung our jackets over our barstools. We had fifteen minutes left until happy hour ended, and we needed to make some decisions quickly.

Our bartender put laminated beverage menus in front of us that were covered with small pictures of herbs and fruit -- and he told us that this was how we would construct our drinks. It seemed like a lot of work for a cocktail, but we obliged. And after we ordered a few items off the happy hour menu, we anxiously awaited our "choose your own adventure" cocktails.

And let's just say that they were worth the wait. The first round featured tall tumblers filled with a lovely concoction of gin and pomegranate fragranced with a generous hint of rosemary. It was divine, and for many days after our visit, we thought about this cocktail...we longed for this cocktail. A friend breezed in through the door as we were taking our first sips and picked another drink from the menu, a hot toddy made with scotch. It arrived warm and steaming, with a frothy rim and a rich, warm flavor complemented with a little lemon on the finish. Again, wonderful.

SALT's happy hour food is a unique mix that's perfect for those wishing to sample a collection of different dishes. We each ordered our own quinoa fritter, a delightful amusé with clean flavors and lovely texture. The braised duck confit was a novelty for a happy hour roster, although the portion was barely enough for sharing. And while the cheese plate was mediocre, we were so happy with our cocktails that we barely even noticed. Our bartender was a stellar example of the knowledgeable staff at SALT, and he made sure we had another round before the happy hour clock ran out.

Overall Grade: A-

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Location Info

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SALT Bistro

1047 Pearl St., Boulder, CO

Category: Restaurant

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happy hour, SALT the Bistro

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Bagwhan

Heh, my first response was the same as EatGoodFood's, "what chain restaurants are there that outnumber local places 5 to 1?" I don't think the "local" chains count anyway, that penalizes owners for opening up a second place, and what if it's a different place? Does SALT get a pass because the other restaurant owned by Heap has a different name and menu? What of Dave Query's stable of restaurants? The only true chains in my book (that I can think of) are Cheesecake Factory, Old Chicago, BJ's, Woody Creek, and Chipotle, and Old Chicago was actually created here.I like SALT but have had some uneven meals there. I also find their cocktail menu too confusing and fussy. I pay for the bartender/mixologist to develop interesting drinks on the menu. It isn't my area of expertise. So people in my party have concocted drinks that they ultimately weren't happy with, because they aren't experts in combining flavors. It's a cute idea, but I think they'd be better served with a nice menu of interesting drink choices that they have developed, and skip the mix and match confusion.

Bev Guy

What abeautiful Autumn day here in Boulder!

Asthe creator of the cocktail program at SALT, I wanted to share why I came upwith it. One of the pillars of the beverage program here, aside from our focuson local wines, beers and liquors, is exploration. Our wine list, that justcame out , is organized like a Pandora radio station—you pick a grape or astyle of wine, and it suggests similar wines you might also enjoy. In the mixeddrink world, The Cocktail Element menu is set up to show that there are manydrink possibilities and ways to explore new spirits, flavors and styles. Wehave a tasting size option for people to try out a few of their creations andnot commit to one large drink. One can also skip this program entirely and justorder one of our signature cocktails on the back of our food menus.

Bagwhan, we should be checking in with you to ensure that youand your guests are enjoying everything. If they are not, we spring intoaction—to find them something they absolutely will love! It sounds like wemissed this opportunity, and I greatly apologize for that! It also sounds likeyou enjoy a good drink! I would love to get in contact with you to share someof the changes going on at both of our bars! It is very exciting. Give me acall at the restaurant sometime, I’d love to chat more! That goes for anyone who enjoys to talkabout wine, beer or spirits! I look forward to seeing you all in again soon.

Cheers,

Evan

Bagwhan

Hi Evan, thanks for the reply. I understand that some people like to explore, and obviously that is great. Perhaps the problem stems from training of the wait staff? I can recall 2 different times where someone at my table has asked for a cocktail menu and has received the mix/match menu (one time with a lengthy explanation of the menu, one time without). I had no idea that you also had a menu of cocktails that you have created. I'll make sure to check it out next time I am in.

Bev Guy

Thanks Bagwhan! I'll work on our consistency regarding that!

Cheers!

Will

EatGoodFood is correct. Kate needs to study prior to typing. By her definition Salt is a chain - Colterra in Niwot....

EatGoodFood

"For every five chain restaurants spewing grub on Boulder's Pearl Street Mall, there's an independent gem boasting a menu we'd love to try..."What chains exactly are you referring to? There's Cheesecake Factory, Old Chicago, BJ's, Hapa (a very small local chain), Japango (ditto), Woody Creek ... umm... I guess Illegal Pete's is a chain, though a highly local one, and the Chipotle way at the western end... what am I missing?

It seems to me that the number of locally-owned restaurants on the Mall vastly outnumbers the chains - West End, Jax, Centro, Kitchen, Kitchen[ND], SALT, Tahona, Sushi Tora, Zoe MaMa, Two Spoons, Riff's, Trattoria, Boulder Cafe, Shug's, Antica Roma, Black Cat, OAK on Fourteenth, Mountain Sun, Gondolier, Leaf, Aji, Foolish Craig's, Frasca, Locale, Pinyon....

Erin Myers

Thank you!!!! I was also wondering what all these chain restaurants were and far out numbering all of the wonderful independantly owned restaurants I could think of....

Jennifer Wohletz

SALT is well worth the visit. I love that they will put lavender in their cocktails if you ask, and they have those little salt sample packs at the host stand you can take home.