Flavorful Pairings at Salt Bistro in St. Johnsbury
| 03.23.21
The Salt Bistro restaurant in St. Johnsbury, Vt is one that has worked hard to find a place within its community through an incredibly difficult year – and it seems to have succeeded!
Salt moved to its St. Johnsbury location not long before the pandemic began. This restaurant has managed to carve out a name for themselves through consistent takeout options, navigating regulations, offering delivery, outdoor dining through the warm months, reopening for indoor seating when the time was right, and sheer hard work and perseverance.
We were able to try out this restaurant deep in Covid restrictions, just before the weather turned last fall. This meant eating outside. While downtown St. Johnsbury may not offer the best view, the deck was nice, the tables were covered by umbrellas, and there was live music – which made the space and meal that much more enjoyable.
Dinner at Salt Bistro
We were dining with friends so were able to sample a number of items from the menu.
We started with apps for the table, selecting the bruschetta, mussels, and Mushrooms in gorgonzola cheese sauce.
The bruschetta was a perfect start with fresh flavors and crusty bread. The fillet on top was a perfectly cooked medium, served over a lightly seasoned tomato chutney.
The mussels came next. Cooked in light white wine, butter, and plenty or garlic this dish was delicious, but it was soon forgotten as we sampled the mushrooms.
The mushrooms came out swimming in a creamy gorgonzola sauce. The contrast of the sharp flavor and the soft mushrooms was a palate pleaser, and there was so much flavor! I couldn’t stop eating them. The mussels were so light in flavor they were overpowered by the stronger flavors in the cheese dish. This would have been a bad pairing on our part but we decided to dip the mussels in the cheese and it was amazing.
I would recommend getting the mushrooms – they are a must have. But, be aware that they are strong so if ordering another appetizer, choose something with bolder flavor profiles.
Entrees were no less flavorful.
I ordered the Shrimp Pink Pesto. A bowl of well pasta and well cooked shrimp was tossed in a blend of pesto and cream for a flavorful sauce that remained light. One of our friends tried the Fruitta De Mare. Her plate was filled with mussels, clams, and shrimp over a bed of spaghetti. She chose the white wine garlic sauce, but a Pomodoro option is also available. All of the seafood was perfectly cooked, nothing tough or rubbery.
My husband ordered the lamb chops on special. This dish came with a gravy that was nicely salted with a solid rosemary flavor that not only worked perfectly with the lamb but what strong enough to come through the gravy. The lamb was cooked medium rare and remained very soft all the way through. This was the first time I had eaten lamb with gravy of any kind and I really enjoyed it. My husband decided that gravy on lamb isn’t his preference, but the flavor profile was good and everything was well prepared.
Our other friend had the meatloaf from the main menu. This traditional dish was presented beautifully, with the meat covered in mushroom gravy over a fluffy cloud of mashed potatoes, served with a side of broccolini. The meat was well seasoned, the portion was of fair size, and it was soon all gone 😊
While we dined outside, I was able to get a peak at the inside of the building. Dark rich wood tones provide an inviting space. The bar lines the right side of the room with plenty of space for tables to the left.
After our first experience at Salt Bistro, I am looking forward to seeing what this restaurant does in the future and trying out their dining room. Their first year has been one of challenges, and they are coming through the other end. This is a restaurant in St Johnsbury that is worth giving a try.