Sep 15, 2008

Newest Review of Salut!

My brother is a chef, and Salut! is his restaurant. (His name is spelled wrong.) This review came out today in Arkansas Business. The review is from the perspective of evaluating a place for a business lunch.

Upscale Southern Eatery Salut! Tops Charts in Service, Food (Business Lunch)
By Arkansas Business Staff - 9/15/2008
Salut! at Prospect Place
1501 N. University Ave., Suite 160, Little Rock
(501) 660-4200
Cuisine: Southern Contemporary
Dress Code: None
Noise Level: Moderate
Price Range: $3-$10
Credit Cards: All major
Reservations: Same day
Receipts: May-June $73,383
3.5 waiters
Salut! at Prospect Place, a fine fledgling restaurant tucked away in the squat black office building at the corner of University Avenue and Cantrell Road, offers a refreshing, contemporary cuisine with a Southern, and slightly Cajun, flair that can likely be traced to Executive Chef and Partner Matthew Radcliff's New Orleans roots.
Though owners Chris Tanner of Cheers in the Heights and Dave Bisceglia of Dave & Ray's Downtown Diner wanted to spell the name Salute, which is still how it's pronounced, they dropped the "e" to prevent confusion with the name of a nearby liquor store.
Our waiter, a genuinely courteous server added to the restaurant's elegant, but not pretentious, atmosphere.
We began with a cup of the Three Cheese Dip ($4), a tasty, but not earth-shattering, version of the common snack. Our other appetizer, the Short Rib Ravioli ($6.50) in a wild mushroom jus followed soon after. The dish was savory, but not our favorite.
The Low Country Shrimp & Grits entrée ($9.50), a bowl of grilled shrimp, asparagus and parmesan grits in a tasso - a type of smoked ham - cream sauce, was unexpectedly elegant and absolutely delicious. We never thought we'd see a gracefully prepared entrée of grits.
One diner feasted on the Slow Braised Beef Short Rib ($8.50), which came atop a mound of potato medallions and drenched in a mushroom jus. The promise of dessert may have been the only thing that kept the frenzied business journalist from eating the bone because the dish was so tasty.
Another of our party had the Seared Salmon Special ($10), which arrived on a bed of orzo pasta and asparagus and was graced with a rich roasted white corn sauce. The diner, and those of us who swiped a bite when he wasn't looking, thinks the dish should earn a permanent spot on the menu. (Don't do that if you're on a date. Or make sure you don't get caught.)
One diner ordered, and was bested by, the Beef Brisket Sandwich ($7). The peppered beef, white cheddar, basil mayo, lettuce and tomato made for a scrumptious stack of goodness.
The homemade banana puddin' ($5) and bourbon ice cream with caramelized pears ($6), topped the charts. So to Salut!, we lift our glasses.

2 comments:

  1. Fantastic review! Yea for Matt! I need to find an excuse to get to Little Rock so I can sample all the yummy food,

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