REVIEW: Salt and Char, Saratoga [PHOTOS]

If you’re an avid 518 Instagram user like I am, there’s no way you missed the amazing pictures from Salt and Char (353 Broadway, Saratoga Springs). That’s how they first got my attention! Looking deeper into Salt and Char, not only did I fall in love with their menu but their philosophy as well. As they say on their website, they are “committed to supporting local farmers that follow organic and sustainable farming practices in all phases of operations.” They care not only about the flavors of the food but where the food comes from and how it was grown which, in turn, positively affects the flavor anyway.

To start, instead of the regular bread and butter, our waitress Anna brought over their signature bread with labneh, olive oil and za’atar (FYI Labneh is like a greek yogurt where they take out the whey to make it thicker). We each got appetizers. I ordered the Bone Marrow (herbed aromatics, capers & peppadew) and for my guest, the Little Field Farms Red Butter Ribb Lettuce (toasted almonds, Parmesan & balsamic). I’d never had bone marrow before so I figured I’d give it a shot- it was delicious. They explained that they half the bone, take out the marrow, spice it and then return it back to the original bone. The consistency was smooth like butter, the flavor was beefy but very decadent. I tried to savor it as long as I could before I finished it.

For dinner, on their menu you’ll see cuts of meat, charcoal fried and options to share for two. My guest ordered the Simply Grilled Swordfish Steak and referred to it as the best swordfish she’s ever had. I decided on the 9oz Wagyu Mishima Reserve Ribeye Cap Steak, I ordered it medium rare with no sauce and a side of creamed parsley and spinach with crumbled feta. Wagyu beef comes from Japanese cattle and I tend to find that the marbling creates the best flavors. The Wagyu was served with an entire head of roasted garlic that I just dumped right on the top, no sauce necessary. My feeling on steak is that if the meat is good, you don’t need sauce but I’ll never turn down garlic. The steak was beautifully cooked with the crisp edges I look for and tasted amazing, each bite melted in my mouth and I couldn’t get enough.

Now time for dessert. We ordered the Salted Caramel and Chocolate Tart with lemoncello sorbet and Grand-Marnier anglaise. Wow. The tart was heavier than expected but paired with the cleansing lemoncello, it made for a perfect end to the meal. We also had a chance to taste the Hazelnut Creme Brulee with Grapefruit granitee. I love the flavor of hazelnut and this was perfect. If you’re thinking Nutella, don’t, this is a completely different monster with a much stronger, nuttier flavor that puts that spread to shame. The grapefruit granitee also was a nice light pairing to have after the heavy steak followed by heavy creme brulee. Along with mini blocks of chocolate, we also tasted an off-menu dessert that I could eat every single night. It was a lemon pots-de-creme topped with raspberry. It was amazing. If you ever see that on the menu, order it, order 3 of them, you won’t regret the fluffy consistency with the sweet, light flavor of lemon.

Also, with dinner, I ordered the Bourbon Smash. Check out my blog tomorrow for the recipe and my thoughts on that! I also want to take a minute to thank our AMAZING waitress Anna. She was perfectly attentive, answered all of my crazy questions & one of the best waitresses we’ve had. I couldn’t locate any management during my meal so it was nice that Anna was there to help make my dining experience as lovely as it was.

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NOTE: The bill for my meal was comped but I was not paid in any way, these thoughts are my honest opinion. Also, since my meal here, Salt and Char have changed to their Fall/Winter menu which can be found HERE.