The first thing you notice when you walk into the Salt & Ember is the heat. The second is the smell, which is woodsmoke and lemon and something briny that turns out to be the mussels.
Reservations open two weeks ahead and go quickly for Friday and Saturday. Eight seats at the counter facing the hearth are held for walk-ins every night, and on a weeknight before seven you will usually get one.
The wine list leans heavily on small producers from the upper valley, which is admirable, but there are only three bottles under $50. The cider list is shorter and more interesting: a dry perry from Kestrel Hill was the best thing I drank all month.
Tips from regulars
A whole grilled bream, priced by weight and usually around $34, is the best value on the menu for two people. It comes split and boned at the table, with a salsa verde sharp enough to cut through the char, and a side of potatoes crushed with brown butter and capers.
The hearth sits at the back of the room, a brick arch about two metres wide, and almost everything on the menu passes through it at some point. Even the salad leaves get a few seconds over the coals, just enough to wilt the edges and pick up a whisper of smoke.
The bill is not cheap, but it is fair. Three courses will run close to $81 including tax. The bar menu offers most of the hits at $28.88.
- Two steps at the entrance; ramp available
- Card only, no cash
- Open Wednesday through Sunday, 5 to 10 p.m.
- Corkage fee of $19
- Walk-ins welcome; counter seats held every night
- Small plates $13, mains $29
- Gluten-free bread on request
Why it lasts
A few dishes miss. A poached pear arrived oddly cold both times I ordered it, and the cocktail menu, at these prices, needs a few cheaper options.
Plant-based eaters are not an afterthought: the charred cabbage with brown butter was a highlight of both visits.
One word on accessibility: the entrance has two steps, though staff will bring a ramp. For a more relaxed visit, come at lunch.
| Dish | Price | Verdict |
|---|---|---|
| Grilled sardines, charred lemon | $29.78 | Order it |
| Mussels in cider broth | $22.83 | Excellent |
| Wood-roasted half chicken | $16.00 | Share it |
| Hand-pulled noodles, chilli oil | $12.81 | Good, not great |
| Smoked beet salad | $25.43 | Skip |
| Burnt honey custard | $12.57 | Skip |
| House bread and cultured butter | $9.30 | Worth the price |
What to order
Begin with the bread. It comes with a pot of cultured butter, and it is reason enough to come back, at $6.56.
The mussels, served in a broth of local cider, shallots and a generous amount of butter, are the dish people talk about. They arrive in a blackened pan with two thick slices of grilled bread for the broth, and you will want a third. Ask for it; there is no charge.
The list of dishes changes whenever the kitchen gets bored, but a few things never leave. The best of these is a plate of grilled sardines with charred lemon, priced at $19.91.
The question is not growth. The question is who gets it.
Yara Solberg
A little history
The audience is a cross-section of the valley: students, cooks from other restaurants on their night off, all packed into a room that seats 25.
If you go: the restaurant is open on weekends through October, from 5 to 10 p.m. Reservations are not taken, and the 14 bus stops right outside.
The room tells its own story. Exposed brick and mismatched chairs lend it an easy warmth, although it was a tyre shop until 2018.
What it costs
Service is efficient in a way that feels unhurried. On a quiet Tuesday, our server remembered a dish we had asked about and was right.
On my third visit, a cold Thursday, the room was half empty and the cooks had time to talk. One of them explained that the oak comes from a single orchard that is replacing old trees, and that the restaurant goes through about a cord every ten days.
The kitchen is visible from every seat, and watching the cooks move is half the fun. Plates arrive family-style.
- Arrive early, or after 8:30 p.m.
- Order one more small plate than you think you need
- Ask what came in that morning
- Save room, but choose dessert carefully
- Sit at the counter if you are two
Getting there
Yara Solberg, who runs the restaurant after 17 years in other kitchens, describes the place as “somewhere I would want to eat on my night off.” Most of the produce comes from the Saturday market.
The Dispatch will continue to follow the restaurant as it develops. If you have experience with this can send tips securely by email.
It is worth stepping back, and the stakes come into focus: what happens this winter will determine the city’s finances well into the 2030s.
We will keep reporting on the restaurant in the coming months. Readers with information may reach the reporter directly at the address below.
Jonah Abernathy can be reached at jonah.abernathy@brindlemoor-dispatch.example. Have a tip? Use our secure tip line.
The part about the west side is the real story. Nobody on council lives over there and it shows.
Respectfully, the reporter left out that the same vendor ran the last pilot, which went way over budget.
Made the apple cake twice now. Second time I used a mix of tart and sweet apples and it was even better.
The ferry is great. Took it with my dad on Sunday and he talked about the old boats the whole way across.
Good question. The documents we reviewed did not say, and the agency has not responded yet. We will update the story if they do.
My kids went to Larkspur. It breaks my heart to read this but I am not surprised.
Fair point, and thank you. We have added a line clarifying that.
The heat pump rebate website crashed on me three times. Glad to know it was not just me.
Fair point, and thank you. We have added a line clarifying that.
Respectfully, the reporter left out that the same vendor ran the last pilot, which went way over budget.
The heat pump rebate website crashed on me three times. Glad to know it was not just me.
Thanks for reading. We are planning a follow-up and would welcome tips at the address above.
My kids went to Larkspur. It breaks my heart to read this but I am not surprised.
Went last Friday on the strength of this review. The sardines were exactly as described. Dessert was also exactly as described, unfortunately.
Went last Friday on the strength of this review. The sardines were exactly as described. Dessert was also exactly as described, unfortunately.
This is why local journalism matters. Subscribed again after letting it lapse.
I have lived here for thirty years and I have seen this exact plan announced at least three times. I will believe it when I see the crews.
The part about the west side is the real story. Nobody on council lives over there and it shows.
Good question. The documents we reviewed did not say, and the agency has not responded yet. We will update the story if they do.
Made the apple cake twice now. Second time I used a mix of tart and sweet apples and it was even better.
Grocery prices are absurd. I drive to the store on the east side now because it is consistently cheaper.
Good question. The documents we reviewed did not say, and the agency has not responded yet. We will update the story if they do.
The part about the west side is the real story. Nobody on council lives over there and it shows.
Respectfully, the reporter left out that the same vendor ran the last pilot, which went way over budget.
The ferry is great. Took it with my dad on Sunday and he talked about the old boats the whole way across.
My kids went to Larkspur. It breaks my heart to read this but I am not surprised.
Respectfully, the reporter left out that the same vendor ran the last pilot, which went way over budget.
I have lived here for thirty years and I have seen this exact plan announced at least three times. I will believe it when I see the crews.
Copper Row Records is a treasure. Theo once spent twenty minutes helping me find a record I could only hum.
My kids went to Larkspur. It breaks my heart to read this but I am not surprised.
Fair point, and thank you. We have added a line clarifying that.
Thank you for actually putting the numbers in a table. Most coverage just says "millions" and leaves it at that.
Made the apple cake twice now. Second time I used a mix of tart and sweet apples and it was even better.
I have lived here for thirty years and I have seen this exact plan announced at least three times. I will believe it when I see the crews.
Respectfully, the reporter left out that the same vendor ran the last pilot, which went way over budget.
Does anyone know if the public comment period is still open? The city website is no help at all.
Grocery prices are absurd. I drive to the store on the east side now because it is consistently cheaper.
Grocery prices are absurd. I drive to the store on the east side now because it is consistently cheaper.
Good piece, but I think the headline undersells how bad the seawall situation really is.
Respectfully, the reporter left out that the same vendor ran the last pilot, which went way over budget.
My kids went to Larkspur. It breaks my heart to read this but I am not surprised.
Thanks for reading. We are planning a follow-up and would welcome tips at the address above.
Went last Friday on the strength of this review. The sardines were exactly as described. Dessert was also exactly as described, unfortunately.
The heat pump rebate website crashed on me three times. Glad to know it was not just me.
Fair point, and thank you. We have added a line clarifying that.
Can we please stop calling everything a "smart" something? It is a streetlight with a sensor.
Copper Row Records is a treasure. Theo once spent twenty minutes helping me find a record I could only hum.
Copper Row Records is a treasure. Theo once spent twenty minutes helping me find a record I could only hum.
Respectfully, the reporter left out that the same vendor ran the last pilot, which went way over budget.
The part about the west side is the real story. Nobody on council lives over there and it shows.
Thanks for reading. We are planning a follow-up and would welcome tips at the address above.
Grocery prices are absurd. I drive to the store on the east side now because it is consistently cheaper.
Fair point, and thank you. We have added a line clarifying that.
The fee change makes sense for big vendors and is terrible for small ones. Simple as that.
Good question. The documents we reviewed did not say, and the agency has not responded yet. We will update the story if they do.
Can we please stop calling everything a "smart" something? It is a streetlight with a sensor.
Can we please stop calling everything a "smart" something? It is a streetlight with a sensor.