Review: Sea Salt

Open Since: June 2005
Eaten there: 4 times

Standout items on the menu for me include the bacon, lettuce, and trout sandwhich with oven roasted tomatoes, and the tuna tartare with black olives and oranges served with house made potato chips.

During my first dinner there the oven roasted tomatoes on the trout sandwhich weren't roasted enough to be interesting. During a recent lunch there was a run on the tartare apparently (which i probably brought on myself by bringing 6 co-workers along) and they served tuna that was so cold it felt nearly frozen.

The food looks and tastes both fun and inventive though, and the space is similarly appealing. My only gripe really is with the prices, which seem high for the quality of food and also sheer level of technical execution.

This is my gripe with Fonda as well though. Sea Salt is the latest restaurant by the folks who own and operate Lalimes, Jimmy Beans, and Fonda Solano (incidentally they are also about to open a BBQ place called T-Rex, that has been four or five years in the opening).

The prices are thoroughly comparable to Pearl on College, which generally sets a higher standard even if portions there can be small. The similarities to Pearl extend to certain aspects of the interior, but here the vibe is more whimsical than hip.

That said, Sea Salt is the sort of place that contributes to a good time and serves pretty good food which will probably only get better with time.

Another curious touch, is a selection of beverages that require assembly. Lemonade for instance comes as a small pitcher of fresh squeezed lemon juice, a tumbler full of ice, and a pitcher of simple syrup.

The restaurant is located in the space that used to be Tallulah, and so is in the same block as Cafe Trieste and Good Vibrations.