Tuesday, September 18, 2012

9/14/12-Salute, Hartford, CT

I realize I was just here. I very rarely make a return visit so quickly to a restaurant that I like but I couldn't wait! After a great first experience, I had high expectations for my second visit. This time, I went with Kim and Jen--Kim actually knows one of the owners, so she was very excited to hear that I had a great first visit just a few weeks ago.  I made reservations, which was a must on a busy Friday night. We were seated outside by one of the owners and he continually checked on us throughout the meal to make sure we weren't too chilly--he even offered to bring us chef's coats if we did get cold!

With lots to catch up on, we ordered a wine bottle special and the garlic cheese bread to get the evening started. The garlic cheese bread is easily one of my favorite things on the planet--hot, gooey but not overpowering garlic flavor, just perfect. On to our entrees! Jen had the Diver scallops over shrimp fried rice and soy butter--the rice had great flavor to it and the scallops were a good size and nicely seared. Kim had the Grilled salmon with a side of potato lasagna and sauteed spinach--I grabbed a bite of the potato lasagna, which was very tasty (and I am not typically a fan of scalloped potatoes!). I had the Rose Pasta, which was sweet sausage, mushrooms and spinach in a tomato cream sauce served with four cheese tortellini--so creamy and heavenly, there was no way I was finishing this dish! The only thing to note is there was barely any spinach in the dish, otherwise, it was delicious. Tom had my leftovers as soon as I got home and he licked the container he thought it was so good!

To top off our experience, we had the chocolate lava cake for dessert--I am glad we all had our own because no one wanted to share once we had that chocolaty first bite! The three of us had a great night and agreed that this is great place to go on a date night or a girl's night; needless to say, plans are in the works for a return visit. What really sets this experience apart from other recent dining experiences is the service--our table was visited by all three owners of the restaurant. Although Kim may have known one of the owners, we were treated with the same courtesy and attentiveness as any other table--this care and passion was evident as you could see the different managers talking to other tables, ensuring a great evening. It is so nice to see a management staff that really cares about the customer and giving them a great dining experience.

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