mindless ramblings

Having friends visiting from out of town is always a good reason to go out and eat. There also is a certain amount of stress, as they usually don’t have much time, so you want to make sure that the place you go to is guaranteed to provide a certain level of satisfaction. Esther and I first went to Saltlik in Calgary last February. It was twenty five below freezing, I was sick and the snow was blowing horizontally in my face. Despite all that, we had a great time and I managed to finish off a 16oz rib eye with ease. Would this visit be as satisfying as the last one?

We arrived just before 7 on a Monday evening. Located on Alberni between Burrard and Thurlow, the place was pretty much empty except for two or three tables. I really like the decor, lots of dark colours and a two storey high ceiling contribute to an airy yet cosy feeling. The backlit huge wine rack across from us was a real beauty too!

French Onion Soup & Roasted Red Pepper and Tomato Soup
I just can’t say no to french onion soup! The cheese was nicely burnt on the top, the glazed onions were sweet and the beef broth tasty. All of us thought it was well executed. The roasted red pepper and tomato soup was the soup special of the day. It was not bad but I thought the french onion soup was better.

Gooey Cheese Toast
I’ve been looking for a worthy cheese toast in Vancouver ever since trying the ridiculously delicious cheese toast at Caesar’s in Calgary. This isn’t up to that standard but nevertheless still quite tasty. The thing I liked about this cheese toast was that the crust wasn’t overly crunchy or anything. It was actually rather soft despite the melted cheese on top. I actually think cheese toast made this way more, less chance of shredding the roof of your mouth and easier to eat.

California Cut New York
Topped with blue cheese cream and crumble, it was delicious! I thought my steak was a little overdone for medium rare but it didn’t matter. The blue cheese was really pungent, but it proved to be a wonderful companion to the beef together with the sauce.The baked potato was really nice too, with generous toppings of real bacon (!), cheese, sour cream, chives and butter.

Bodacious Rib Eye
This was the same monstrous rib eye that I had in Calgary. I didn’t have it this time, but it looked just as good as the last time. I think it is a testament to the quality of the steak when the person who ordered it has lunch at 4 in the afternoon and still manages to finish the entire 16oz steak at dinner. This would definitely be a good choice for the hungry diner.

Liquid Chocolate Cake
I think it was called the liquid chocolate cake, or maybe molten chocolate cake but anyway it wasn’t all that great. I actually preferred the ice cream to the cake! The cake was a little on the salty side, and the chocolate oozing out didn’t taste all that chocolately. I’d save my money and head to somewhere else for dessert.

Despite a minor issue of a fly in my wine which was promptly replaced, the service and food didn’t disappoint. Too bad that we went on such a dead night, I can just imagine the buzz on a busy night! Our total for the night came up to almost $200, including 2 glasses of wine (which went really well with the steak too). Sure it might be expensive but I think it was worth it. Not something I can eat too frequently, but definitely well worth the money when I do!