Last Wednesday, inspired by a sign outside advertising “wine flight Wednesdays” we had noticed on a chilly quest for Pho the Sunday previous, my boyfriend and I paid a visit to Salt Wine Bar on Ossington. Salt isn’t new to Toronto, but for reasons unbeknownst to me, seems to fly fairly low on the restaurant scene radar, which turned out to be a wonderful change. We were able to secure a reservation without hassle, our table was quiet and comfortable, and the service was perfectly attentive.
Perfect for a week day date night, Salt strikes the perfect balance between rustic casual and cozy romance. In a nod to the wine bar theme, the walls are flanked with wooden shelves displaying a carefully curated collection of wine, which serves as a perfect background to the flickering candlelight throughout. The menu is tapas style, featuring a selection of largely seafood and meat based Spanish and Portuguese inspired dishes. We started with a round of cocktails, which I was somewhat surprised to discover a wine bar did so well (and at a much more reasonable price than cocktail specific bars in the city). My manhattan was one of the best I’ve had in the city, no doubt to the house made charred cedar bitters.
On Wednesdays, Salt offers wine and port flights that allow patrons to sample four different grapes or blends from one region at one low price point. The night we visited, Italian wines were on offer. For $17 we sampled a prosecco, a pinot grigio, a valpoliccela and finished with a wonderful amarone. Although not specifically paired with our food (the flights are pre-set), Philip Carneiro, the restaurant’s extremely knowledgeable “wine guy” suggested the order in which we sample them and which wine would pair best with each of our small plates. While we enjoyed all of the wines we tried, the 2008 Capital de Roari Amarone by Luigi Righetti was a stand out.
We started with the Ontario Buffalo Mozzarella with cherry tomatoes, olives, pine nuts and basil, in a sherry vinegar reduction ($10) and the yellowfin tuna ceviche with mango, mint,cucumber, avocado, red chili ($14). I nearly died over the mozzarella and if in the privacy of my own home, would not have hesitated to lick the plate clean. The ceviche was fresh and summery and the combination of the cool fruit and hot chili made for a nice contrast.
for the love of awesome 