| rev:text
| - I heard about this mystic underground seafood restaurant by chance and I made a mental note of it. My roommate picked up on it when I explained, as best I could, that this place is essentially a parking lot with a restaurant underneath it. And apparently, the seafood is to die for. So when the next special occasion arose (my birthday), my roommate and I made plans to travel to this netherworld of seafood delicacies and subterranean mystery.
The experience was better than I could've imagined. First, there was a small crowd waiting for the place to open. Seating is limited, so it can fill up pretty fast. But this added to the adventure feeling, as if we were all on some sort of marine odyssey and we had to gather at the gangplank. We descended into the rustic interior along with the other guests, and then bellied up to the bar to have some appetite-enhancing cocktails before our reservation time. The bar is pretty cool and has a great selection of mixed drinks... I may have to return just for their Happy Hour sometime, and scarf down what looked like a great menu of seafood appetizers.
When it was our turn to enter The Abyss, rather, the dining room, we were prepared. We had done our research and watched a clip from the local PBS show "Check, Please! Arizona" where the reviewers drooled as they described the sauteed shrimp San Remo appetizer. We had to have it! We made sure to indulge in the fresh baked bread in thick-sliced hunks, perfect for sopping up this most heavenly, buttery, garlicky, tomatoey sauce. This is truly a magnificent, superstar dish that I still dream about (despite the buttery stains that soaked through my napkin onto my dress slacks)! This appetizer is so delicious, that I had no problem eating it AND wearing it.
My entree was also quite special. I ordered the mahi mahi (with macadamia nuts), which came with wild rice pilaf and sauteed veggies. I expected this to look like Trout Almondine, with slivered almonds atop. However, the macadamia nuts are actually part of a toothsome, applesauce-like topping which confused me greatly. The sauce definitely has the crushed nuts, but the flavor is a bit sweet and reminiscent of ginger-bread spices. It wasn't until I was several bites deep and I squeezed all of my lemon on the fish, that I understand the genius of the flavors. The lemon really opens it up and lets you experience the delicate texture and savory character of the fish accented with gingery and nutty notes from the sauce. Truly a novel approach to what might otherwise be dismissed as just another white fish dish.
Alas, we had a fabulous time at the Salt Cellar. We even got along famously with the couple at the table next to us who were celebrating an anniversary. It seems that the novelty of the underground location and the fabulous food makes for a real treat! I consider my meal here one of my most unique and unforgettable dining experiences.
|
![[RDF Data]](/fct/images/sw-rdf-blue.png)
![[cxml]](/fct/images/cxml_doc.png)
![[csv]](/fct/images/csv_doc.png)
![[text]](/fct/images/ntriples_doc.png)
![[turtle]](/fct/images/n3turtle_doc.png)
![[ld+json]](/fct/images/jsonld_doc.png)
![[rdf+json]](/fct/images/json_doc.png)
![[rdf+xml]](/fct/images/xml_doc.png)
![[atom+xml]](/fct/images/atom_doc.png)
![[html]](/fct/images/html_doc.png)