Tuesday, June 14, 2005
Salute
Last night, Amy and I went to try out a new restaurant here in town, Salute. Located on King St. in Uptown Waterloo, the fisrt thing that strikes you about Salute is the deep crimson themes of the interior. Luxurious yet simple, the restaurant's interior layout is deep but narrow, reminiscent of similar establishments conforming to space regulations in Toronto or San Francisco.
The cuisine carries an Italian theme - pasta dishes dominate the menu, mostly ranging from ~$11 - ~$15. There are limited appetizers, salads, one soup, and a number of non-pasta dishes ranging from grilled swordfish to lamb.
We split the bococcini and sun-dried tomato cristini (read: fancy bruschetta) for about $7. It was tasty yet disappointing - the high price only netted three 2-inch squares of bruscetta, barely enough to tempt the palate.
The main courses were thankfully heartier. Amy enjoyed a full plate of a quite tasty vodka/tomato penne, while I succumbed to the call of the signature meal, "Saulte." Salute is a pasta dish whose description runs similar to the following: "garlic, pasta, garlic, peppers, garlic, blackened chicken, garlic, beans. And just a hint of garlic." Indeed, I think they put a whole bulb into my sizeable plate. It was tasty, but my it was hot!
We stayed away from deserts/alcohol, so I'm afraid I can't comment on those.
The service was quite formal, but I tend to prefer those place that give the extra warmth, ensuring that all needs are attended to.
All in all, it was a good meal (thanks of course to some fantastic company), but it didn't quite impress me enough to choose it as the location for the family convocation dinner.
The cuisine carries an Italian theme - pasta dishes dominate the menu, mostly ranging from ~$11 - ~$15. There are limited appetizers, salads, one soup, and a number of non-pasta dishes ranging from grilled swordfish to lamb.
We split the bococcini and sun-dried tomato cristini (read: fancy bruschetta) for about $7. It was tasty yet disappointing - the high price only netted three 2-inch squares of bruscetta, barely enough to tempt the palate.
The main courses were thankfully heartier. Amy enjoyed a full plate of a quite tasty vodka/tomato penne, while I succumbed to the call of the signature meal, "Saulte." Salute is a pasta dish whose description runs similar to the following: "garlic, pasta, garlic, peppers, garlic, blackened chicken, garlic, beans. And just a hint of garlic." Indeed, I think they put a whole bulb into my sizeable plate. It was tasty, but my it was hot!
We stayed away from deserts/alcohol, so I'm afraid I can't comment on those.
The service was quite formal, but I tend to prefer those place that give the extra warmth, ensuring that all needs are attended to.
All in all, it was a good meal (thanks of course to some fantastic company), but it didn't quite impress me enough to choose it as the location for the family convocation dinner.
