Published on The Saratoga Social on December 8, 2016
Where do I begin? Salt & Char lives up to its expectations in every sense of the word. The experience is grand from the moment you walk up the steps, through the ivory columns and into the lobby, decorated to the nines with white subway tiles, black and white awnings and rich, brown leather accents, the brilliantly simple cow logo placed tastefully throughout. Having heard and read all the press about the restaurant since its grand opening in May, I was skeptical as to what I would encounter when dining here: Is it too fancy? Will I feel out of place? Do I have to wear my finest clothes? Am I going to spend my life savings in order to have a meal? The answer to all of these questions is a resounding no. From the moment we entered Salt & Char to the minute we walked out the door, we felt like we were amongst friends, the service knowledgeable and down-to-earth, the atmosphere refined but not stuffy, the menu pricey but not overly. This is the kind of place that wants you to feel comfortable, at home even; somewhere you return to and you’re recognized by the manager, you’re comfortable saddling up and chatting with the bartender for an hour or two, you have the chance to shake hands with and catch up with the Chef and you also, conveniently, have the opportunity to experience world-class cuisine.
For those unfamiliar, Salt & Char was the brainchild of world-renowned chef Gary Kunz, who was inspired by the bountiful location of Saratoga Springs, with its proximity to the Hudson Valley and to numerous farmers dedicated to sustainable and organic practices. In addition to the access to local food, Kunz was undoubtedly attracted to the ability Saratoga has to continually draw crowds, not only for track, but year-round with its evolving culinary scene, historic charm and culture. The original concept for Salt & Char was to put a modern twist on the classic American steakhouse- offering the finest cuts of meat, served a la carte, in addition to varied selections of seafood, including numerous raw bar selections. The steakhouse, which opened in May 2016, is the first of many new additions to this prime Broadway location, as the opening of the Adelphi Hotel and its own restaurants (all housed under the Adelphi Hospitality Group) will complete the Golden Age revival of these storied buildings.
Leading the charge is Executive Chef Braden Reardon, Manager Alex Miller and their team, who bring the vision to life, day in and day out, exceptMonday and Tuesday, when the restaurant is closed and these guys just maybe get a day off. Chef Braden comes to Saratoga from New York City, where he honed his skills at renowned locales such as Blue Water Grill, BLT Steak and, most recently, NYY Steak Manhattan, the steakhouse of the New York Yankees. Reardon brings not only his talents as a chef to Salt & Char, but also an appreciation for working directly with local farmers and infusing seasonality into his menus. Chef Braden greeted us upon our arrival to our table and I couldn’t help but feel like we were old friends as we chatted about his techniques, his past, his farmer friends, and his recommended cuts of meat (bone-in NY strip or the Ribeye Cap). Braden mentioned the restaurants recent donation to the local food bank, their way of giving back to the community, in addition to talking fondly of some of his relationships with local farmers such as Littlefield Farms in Watertown, Mack Brin Farms in Ballston Spa and West Wind Acres in Charlton. After getting some terrific recommendations and insights into the menu from Reardon and Miller, we let them get back to the packed dining room, bustling and energetic on this Wednesday night.
At S&C, everything from the modern wooden benches with their brown leather coverings to the leather bound wine menu to the wooden menu holders oozes comfortable luxury. Be prepared to take your time and take it all in. After doing so, I was ready to order a cocktail off the impressive menu of concoctions that I hadn’t seen before: The Smoking Gun combines Johnnie Walter Black, Contratto bitter (an Italian apertivo similar to Campari), coffee liqueur and orange zest and the Kentucky Plum takes Buffalo Trace bourbon and mixes it with Cynar (an Italian liqueur), muddled plum and fig simple syrup. One piece of advice I will give you here is, put your trust in S&C and try something new- they know what they’re doing. Oh and happy hour is every night from 4-6pm, with exception to Monday and Tuesday when they’re closed, so you can try any of these for half off, no excuses. I tried the Can’t Be Beet- a concoction of Ransom vodka, caraway, ginger, star anise and soda mixed with red candy beets which give it a beautiful rosy hue, topped with a piece of candied ginger-a light and flavorful treat.
Now let’s get down to the food, the bread and butter, if you will. Speaking of bread and butter, it’s delicious and toasty and warm, but pace yourself. To start, we wanted to make sure we covered the bases, the all-stars if you will, so we ordered the Braised Pork Belly as well as the Lobster Chowder. Presented to us, as everything is at S&C, on a dark wooden tray, both dishes were then garnished, table side, with their respective sauces- mine with a lemongrass consommé and my fiancés with the chowder portion of his lobster chowder. Yes, to all you lobster fanatics, this means the chowder is served in two separate containers, one which holds purely fresh lobster meat and the other which houses the creamy, saffron-tinged, cognac-fortified chowder which is then poured into the bowl for you… swoon-worthy. Not to be outdone, my braised pork belly was gently seared on the outside and along with the heavenly consommé, was complemented by julienned honey crisp apples and cubed rutabaga- an indulgence worth every last bite. Other choices on the menu that came recommended were the Ahi tuna tartare with house-made three-week ponzu, the French onion soup and the oysters on the half shell- tonight’s feature were the rare wild Belon oyster, some of only 5,000 harvested in Maine each year.
Now for the mains. How could I possibly eat at Salt & Char without having a steak? I couldn’t, that would be blasphemy! The meats at Salt & Char are held to the highest standards and are responsibly sourced, showcasing grass fed, grain finished, Black Angus and American Wagyu. Now to choose which one… fortunately, our lovely server helped my decision by explaining that the bone-in dry aged Prime NY Strip was the happy medium between the heavily marbled ribeye and the leaner filet, marrying flavor with tenderness. Sold. All steaks at S&C, like your traditional steakhouse, come a la carte so be prepared to order a side or two if you’d like a more complete meal, or don’t if you just came for the meat- I wouldn’t blame you. I chose the brussels sprouts with Cipollini onions and bacon but other options include duck fat fingerlings and bacon mac & cheese. In addition, multiple made-to-order sauces are available to accompany your cut from the traditional Béarnaise to the indulgent black truffle & foie gras sauce- I chose the au poivre. My fiancé went with the lamb shank, a choice he can’t resist at a good restaurant, especially if it is bone-in.
The entrees arrived, again on dark wooden trays, and let me just take a moment to discuss the attention to detail here. Each steak knife is engraved with Salt&Char on the blade, a smart branding move, and the serving “dishes” are unique and top of the line: Staub mini-cocotte for the brussels, Mauviel saucier for the au poivre sauce and a beautiful walnut cutting board for the main event, the rib eye, also served with a bundle of fresh herbs, a quarter head of roasted garlic and a sprinkle of pink Himalayan sea salt. Cooked perfectly at a pink medium rare, the steak was top notch- so wonderfully flavored and tender that I didn’t even feel like I wanted to change things by adding the au poivre sauce. And that’s saying a lot considering the au poivre was perfectly peppered and creamy. The lamb shank was equally as decadent, falling off the bone and into the dark, rich glacé and bed of russet potatoes it was sitting on. The brussels sprouts were deliciously roasted and paired well with the bacon and the crunch of the cipollinis. We were silent for several minutes during this time period. There are a lot of good things that come with a 20oz. dry-aged prime NY strip, the bad thing, for me, is that it’s 20oz. and I can’t finish it in one sitting- no matter what kind of valiant effort I make. Silver lining here though is that it gets new life in tomorrow morning’s eggs, tomorrow’s salad or maybe even tomorrow’s dinner.
Now I know I’ve gone on and on, but I just have to mention the dessert that we managed to fit into our bellies to top this whole thing off. Out of many delightfully unique offerings, we chose what our waitress aptly described to be like one of those caramel-filled Ghiradelli chocolate squares, a description that got me hook, line and sinker. The salted caramel and chocolate tarte with Grand Marnier crème anglaise, poured table side, was a dessert-lovers dream: gooey caramel, crunchy chocolate cookie, creamy crème anglaise. The pièce de résistance was a citrus sherbet, something that was completely unexpected with a chocolatey dessert, that added a coldness and a tartness that cut through the rich caramel and brought all the flavors together. Like I said, trust them at S&C, they know what they’re doing.
My hope with this feature is to not only praise Salt & Char for the wonderful experience we had there but to also urge others to give it a try and not be intimidated. The menu ranges with appetizers from $12- $22 and the entrees are priced between $22- $38 depending on the current offerings. Steaks are on the higher side but again, keep in mind the quality and the expertise put into these cuts, not to mention the size, with prices ranging from $48 for a 16oz ribeye to a $52 12oz. filet mignon and above. Also, new for the season is a large lunch and brunch menu featuring many of the dinner options as well as dry aged burgers and brioche French toast, with both a la carte options available as well as a prix-fixe menu for both meals. In addition, the team here hopes to have an updated bar menu available soon with finger foods and more casual offerings for those looking for a night in the bar/lounge area and not in the traditional dining room. Follow S&C on their Facebook page and on their website at saltandchar.com for updated event offerings including their upcoming Christmas and New Year’s Eve dinners.
Still in their first year, I’m thrilled to see what else comes from Chef Braden and the creative team at S&C and what they can bring to Broadway and downtown Saratoga. Vacationers to locals, newbies to foodies, Salt & Char aims to please and you won’t be disappointed.
Michele Vidarte 