Salt (of the earth)

Recently Mark and I treated ourselves to dinner at Salt Wine Bar over on the Ossington strip (Oz). While frequently derided for its status as "hipster ground zero", Oz is always worth visiting for its great--and densely packed-- collection of galleries, bars, and restaurants.

We've been slowly checking out each spot and we finally found ourselves at Salt, which labels itself as "a modern progressive approach to Iberian/Canadian tapas specializing in Portuguese and Spanish wines and a fresh take on cocktails".

Lined with wine bottles and decked out with lovely chandeliers, the space feels like a wine cellar, and we were immediately put at ease by the warmth of the setting.

We started with the house-cured charcuterie board and cocktails. Mark opted for the Charred Cedar Manhattan (Maker’s Mark bourbon, sweet and dry vermouth, house charred cedar bitters, served over a king cube in a pine smoked glass) while I had another cocktail that is sadly not on their online menu (and I can't recall its name).

We then ordered our tapas plates: Quebec Foie Gras Torchon (with black figs, pickled shallots, candied hazelnuts, grilled baguette), Hand Cut Black Angus Steak Tartar  (with grilled baguette, soft egg, truffle aioli, parsley), Crispy Szechuan Pork Belly (with hoisin glaze, jicama slaw, coriander, chili, peanuts), and Crispy Quebec Duck Confit  (with apple, house bacon, celeriac puree, pecans, cognac jus). Each plate was perfectly done and executed and we were absolutely delighted with our meal.

Mark could not resist having dessert, and we shared a yummy Sticky Toffee Pudding (that wasn't sticky enough for Mark!). We totally enjoyed our experience at Salt and also encountered some of the loveliest serving staff we have ever had in the city. A memorable destination.