Pan-seared salmon ($19) was a nicely grilled chunk of filet. I’m not sure about basil-cream sauce on salmon — you just so expect dill. But I am sure that the lemon-flavored risotto, as if made in a real Italian-American home with ordinary long-grain rice, was excellent. The bright-green broccoli looked underdone, but tasted overdone and watery. I think this is what happens when you cook it to that color, shock it with ice water, and then reheat. I still prefer it to underdone broccoli, but the problem here is easy enough to fix.
The wine list is global and looks good and inexpensive. I broke my vow about 2003 barbera for the “2003 Prunotto barbera fiulot” ($21), because Prunotto is such a trusted name in Piedmont reds. In fact, the wine poured was a 2004, with the top appellation barbera d’Asti; it was full of fruit and had a little more structure than the 2003s. “Fiulot” means “young man,” and Prunotto is using this name for a steel-tank, no-oak wine intended to be drunk young and with food. At this price, I support the project and endorse the 2004 vintage. Decaf ($2) was thin but clean; cappuccino ($4) was just fine.
Of the three desserts left on our night, the fallen chocolate cake ($8) was the winner. It was served in a bowl, like hot pudding, with espresso ice cream. Crème brûlée ($6) was just that: no more, no less. Tiramisu ($6) was appealing in that you could actually see the lady fingers in cross section. This implies a somewhat drier and less sweet tiramisu, and I’m down with that variation, too.
As the restaurant filled up, service was very good. The space is a bar with a long dining room behind it, and both have a lot of windows that open to the air on summer nights. There is also a lot of patio seating. It isn’t an ideal service layout, but all our food came in good order and good time. The indoor spaces could be drafty in the winter. We’ll find out, because this restaurant is apt to be around for a long time. The décor is not special, but it’s nice enough, with dark-wood tables and flooring, linen napkins, and photos of food as a kind of gallery exhibit.
Salute, 4257 Washington Street, Roslindale | Open Sun–Thurs, 5-10 pm; and Fri & Sat, 5 pm–midnight | MC, VI | full bar | no valet parking | sidewalk-level access | 617.325.1000
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Robert Nadeau: RobtNadeau@aol.com
