Falling for Food

I don’t go on a lot of dates. I think I’m bad at them. But when I booked a reservation at Salute Restaurant & Bar in order to write this article, it seemed like going there alone the day after Valentine’s Day would be just this side of mildly depressing. The reservation was set for earlier in the day, 4:45pm, because we both had plans later that evening: I had writing to do, she had a play to see at 7:30pm. Spoilers: The food, vibe, discussion and company were so immaculate that the first time I looked at my clock it was 9pm… she had missed her play and I wouldn’t be getting very much writing done.

What I initially found quite wonderful about Salute is the complete lack of pretension. Yes, it’s upscale. Yes, there are candles on the tables, a dense and expertly curated wine selection and a gourmet menu featuring appetizers, salads, soups, first courses and entrees. But there isn’t a stuffy bone in Salute’s body. In fact, our server, Rachel, brought such warmth and grace to our evening that the experience wouldn’t have been remotely as special without her. With snow on the ground outside and the temperature dipping by the minute, Salute felt like an antidote to these last few long winter nights.

Executive chef and owner Jeremy Buck, along with his wife Lian Schmidt, have something very special here. As soon as I found out his bona fides, I realized why. “I went to Western Culinary Institute in Le Cordon Bleu in Portland,” Buck says. “After graduation, Lian and I moved to Florence, Italy, so I could apprentice at Ristorante Simon Boccanegra. It was in Tuscany that I learned the secret to good Italian food. In Tuscany, the chef is only a small part of the community of hard-working people who make culinary magic happen. Italian chefs know that they can’t make a great dish without the hard work of the farmer who grew the tomatoes and basil (or the cardoon and persimmons), which end up gracing the plates of Tuscan restaurants.”

We started with the calamari al pomodoro, which was tender, buttery and delicious in a light and incredibly non-acidic tomato sauce that tasted cut from a garden only moments earlier. The dish was so deceptively simple and yet remarkably complex in its profiles (the oregano and capers!) that we both knew we were in for a singular meal.

“When it comes to Italian cuisine, less is more a lot of the time,” Buck says. “I know it’s a cliché, but it is true. Use very high-quality produce, meats, seafood, fruits and all the rest. Treat your ingredients with respect and use a light hand in processing them. And don’t overdo your dishes by adding in unnecessary ingredients that will only muddy the waters and disappoint.”

Before the next course, I was able to savor the pear old-fashioned with Maker’s Mark, Ramazzotti Amaro, maple syrup, pear brandy and an orange twist. Stiff, sweet and decadent with a bite, the old-fashioned was flawless. My date had the pomegranate martini with PAMA liqueur, Stoli vodka, pomegranate juice, Grand Marnier and a twist. The mad scientist behind the bar had somehow managed to crash the pom flavor and vodka into each other without overpowering either. You get the sweet bitter of the pom and, completely separately, the cool fire of the vodka. It’s pretty remarkable.

Next was the harvest salad with frisée lettuce, Bartlett pear, delicata squash, pecorino, smoked duck and a sherry vinaigrette. The combination of the pecorino, vinaigrette and lightly smoked duck made for a salad unlike any I’ve had before. Every single ingredient stood apart with individuality and insane freshness, but combined together, they made for an innovative surprise. And that duck… chef’s big, sloppy kiss!

For the entrée, I went with the special, the cannelloni verdi al ragù, a traditional Emiliana-style, baked cannelloni stuffed with veal ragu, spinach and stracciatella cheese, topped with béchamel and Parmesan. I don’t have enough words to talk about this: From the delicate and divine béchamel to the exquisite earthiness of the spinach and the tender subtlety of the veal, I was floored.

“My sensibility regarding cuisine is heavily influenced from growing up with the simplicity of my mother’s cooking,” Buck says. “She learned a lot from her grandmother, who immigrated from France. So, simple, fresh, country-style dishes using fresh meats and produce were always a staple of my childhood. Every day at Salute, we take the highest quality product we can find and treat it with respect. We try to… let the natural freshness of the ingredients shine through in the dishes we create.”

My date ordered the seafood pesto with prawns, scallops, mahi-mahi, linguine and Parmesan in a basil-pinenut pesto cream sauce. The pesto was rich and perfect, finding an amazing balance between the garlic and olive oil while adding an amazing texture to what was one of the freshest and most tender pieces of mahi-mahi I’ve had in a long time.

I could go on. From the wine, to the All the Way Up cocktail (cognac, amaro, passion fruit, lemon, fresh grenadine, orange bitters, Prosecco), to the unbelievable panna cotta and the chocolate torte with a basil gelato that must be savored to be believed, to the attentive and wonderful service, Salute gave us a night that I will remember. I still don’t know if I earned a second date, but as Salute proved to me that night, only time will tell.

Salute Restaurant & Bar
1045 NW Bond St., Bend
Reservations highly recommend
salutebend.com