Salt Wine Bar is the green-trimmed storefront just south of The Saint, pictured last summer (Image: Google)
The Saint is the only mystery resto left on Ossington. The much-anticipated Salt Wine Bar, which has been tantalizingly papered up since last summer, should be opening within the next few weeks. Owners say it will be a simple, competitively priced bar-eatery-store that will focus on cuisine from the Iberian peninsula, so expect Spanish and Portuguese products and dishes. Chef Dave Kemp, previously of the utterly un-Iberian Prego Della Piazza in Yorkville, will head the communal tapas-style menu. True to the bar’s name, cheeses and charcuterie—up to seven different types of prosciutto, including some house-cured meats—will be staples.
Tapas standards will include grilled sardines, boquerones (anchovies) with red sherry vinegar, and the not-so-standard torchon of foie gras. The venue will have seating for over 70 patrons, and menu items will be on display for take-home customers. Dishes are expected to average $15.
Spanish and Portuguese wines will provide the backbone of the beverage selection, with a nod to New World wines from Argentina and Chile. Always temperature-controlled, wine will be sold by the glass ($6–$10) and by the bottle ($20–$50).
Decor-wise, Salt won’t be venturing too far from its Ossington compatriots: lots of reclaimed wood on the tables and bar top, with antique chandeliers providing ambience. For now, owners say it’s just a matter of jumping through a few more bureaucratic hoops before the paper comes down.
Is it the SALT Wine Bar or the Saint Wine Bar as in the photo of te establishment?
June 22, 2010 at 10:03 am | by Andy