Salute
Antipasto Misto – 3 Year Old Parmigiana Cheese, Farro Salad, Eggplant Caponata, Oven Roasted Tomatoes, Black Truffle Ricotta, Buffala Mozzarella, Zucchini with Lemon Oil, Poached Octopus and Potatoes, Prosciutto and Melon Rolls, Cured Salmon, Olives, Toasted Bread
Rosemary Focaccia with Olive Oil and 8-year aged Balsamic
Hamachi Tartare – Truffle, Pear, Hazelnuts, Fennel
Eggplant Parmesan – Roasted Eggplant, Fior di Latte, San Marzano Sauce, Parmesan
Traditional Pizza di Napoli – Margherita (Off Menu Item)
Salute Signature Pasta – Fettuccini, Vodka Sauce
Salt Crusted Branzino
Roasted Spaghetti Squash – San Marzano Tomatoes, Pecorino
Tiramisu with Biscotti and Stracciatella Gelato
Coconut Cake with Coconut Gelato
Flourless Chocolate Torte with Chocolate Sorbetto
Fresh Made Waffle Cone with Pistachio and Neapolitan Ice Cream
Slated to open on 9/16/15 under the same Clique banner that brought Hearthstone Kitchen and Cellar to the Red Rock Hotel and Casino, Salute Trattoria Italiana by Luciano Sautto promises to do the same for regional Italian cuisine as its sibling did for upscale Americana, an early al fresco preview showing the same passion for ingredient sourcing while creativity and craftsmanship far outstrip anything the Western Suburbs has yet to know.
Occupying the space across from Mercadito, managing partner Brian Massie and Maitre D’ Enrico Sautto plus Hearthstone GM Peter Varela present throughout our meal, the space harboring Salute is long and shotgun straight with a Television-clad bar juxtaposing the outdoor patio, a beautifully tiled kitchen to the right while Antipasti and desserts are featured prominently behind glass closer to the Casino’s core.
Smartly sourcing the skills of an accomplished Italian Chef, while additionally spending a significant amount of time researching authentic recipes throughout Rome and the Amalfi Coast on a trip earlier this calendar year, the menu at Salute features six sections spread across two pages, the extensive selection of antipasti alongside crudo and salads while sides join pastas and entrees in numbers trumping ten.
Indulgent in bread service, the costini served with antipasti toasted golden crisp while warm rosemary Focaccia upped the ante with good olive oil and old balsamic, course two featured one of three crudo and taking the road less traveled in presenting chopped Yellowtail glistening in an “Italian-Style” ponzu each bite was every bit as balanced as those seen at Hearthstone, the essence of fennel riding high on the palate while pinenuts added both texture and a mellow finishing note.
Offered as an appetizer as opposed to the traditional wedge of oily parm, Sautto’s take on roasted eggplant beneath fresh fior di latte was another opening stunner, and although a touch less crispy that some might have liked the sauce of little more than pure San Marzanos straight from his family restaurant overseas was the very essence of freshness, certainly not the sugared up iteration so frequently offered in America and meant to pass as “Italian” fare.
Enjoying the spirit of good food, good friends, and good wine as the kitchen switched gears to the menu’s right half, it was here that Enrico presented a pizza perfected through years of practice and although not currently planned for the restaurant suffice it to say that the results were absolutely fantastic, the same to be said of a fanciful table-side presentation of Salute’s signature Fettuccini alla Vodka just a few minutes later, the booze lit afire within a wheel of cheese with sauced al dente pasta soon added, the results setting a new standard for taste as well as showmanship, a dish bound to gather eyes from onlookers and then to sell itself.
Rounding out the savories with a salt crusted fish whose bargain basement price seems almost impossible considering the quality of the moist and meaty flesh, it was alongside lightly roasted spaghetti squash simply dressed in crushed tomatoes and Pecorino that a sampling of the sides was offered, the quality of ingredients left to show for themselves.
Always excited for desserts, particularly given Chef Sautto and Massie’s obvious desire to introduce and expand on the flavors seen during their respective times in Rome, the Tiramisu at Salute presents light and cloud-like without all the cloying sweetness or booze that fall so many others while Coconut Cake and a Flourless Chocolate Torte each speak to the work of a skilled baker, the gelatos and sorbets both here and served on freshly made cones on par with any restaurant in the Valley – the Stracciatella and Coconut particularly quite refined.
Obviously not able to appropriately rate the average guest experience based a Chef hosted tasting prior to the proper opening of the space, it seems Salute is ready to change the look of Off-Strip Italian dining all for the better, the menu catering to both traditional hotel guests and those more willing to experiment with a price point more than favorable considering both the ingredients and the fare.
RECOMMENDED: Fettuccini alla Vodka, Eggplant Caponata, Salt Roasted Branzino, Chocolate Torte.
AVOID: N/A.
TIP: Participating in this weekend’s Food and Wine event at Red Rock, those looking for an early taste are encouraged to stop by and find the Salute booth…or just to book an opening day table one week from now.
http://www.salutevegas.com/