DINING REVIEW
Red Salt
952 Canton St., Roswell, 770-998-4850
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Tuesday, November 04, 2008
Dark chocolate. Greek yogurt. Green cooking. Deviled eggs. “Top Chef.” Gastropubs. Let me be the first to declare them passé. Technically, of course, none of these concepts has even begun to overstay its welcome in the great arena of public popularity (well, maybe “Top Chef”).
Becky Stein/AJC special
At Red Salt, located on the square in Roswell, the outdoor tables have proved popular at lunchtime.
Recommended gastropubs
Looking for the gastropub experience? I recommend these spots:
>> TAP, 1180 Peachtree St. N.E., Atlanta, 404-347-2220, www.tapat1180.com
>> Holeman & Finch, 2277 Peachtree Road N.E., Suite B, Atlanta. 404-948-1175, www.holeman-finch.com
>> Porter Beer Bar, 1156 Euclid Ave., Atlanta. 404-223-0393, www.theporterbeerbar.com
MORE ON RESTAURANTS
Food and dining is no different from any other fashionable realm — once a notion leaves the station, everyone hops onboard. Who can blame them for hanging on until the end of the ride? But just as the gastropub concept begins to take hold in Atlanta, I’m fighting the ennui of the very thought of it.
For the sake of fairness, let’s briefly review what a gastropub is. The concept began in London, where a now famous pub called the Eagle began to serve more than just fish and chips with Guinness. Interesting nibbles of a more delectable nature, as well as a finicky beer list, had everyone talking. And eating and drinking. Add to that the warm, inviting neighborhoodish nature of a pub, and a new doctrine of dining was born.
The owners of the Eagle are credited with coining the term, combining “gastronomy” with “pub.” It didn’t take long for the gastropub to arrive in the United States from across the Atlantic, with spots like the Spotted Pig in New York setting the benchmark for others to follow.
Red Salt is one such place, burrowed into the mainstream of stylish dining along Canton Street in the historic district of Roswell. Opened by the owners of Little Alley, another popular Roswell restaurant, the digs are the perfect mix of brick and wood, with a pretty bar that takes up the length of one side of the room. There are quirks: Beer kegs crowd the space toward the back of the room, and the restaurant doesn’t serve coffee (an odd complaint, I suppose, but if dessert is served, then coffee should be as well). There’s a decent list of beers, but for a place that touts itself a gastropub, it’s hardly all that impressive.
The menu reaches and hits its mark about half the time. Nibbles of crispy chickpeas should be marketed and sold separately as a signature snack — lightly seasoned and crispy around the edges from the frying pan, they easily could become an obsession. Solid pub-grub offerings of thin-crusted pizza with cappicola, peppers and onions, and a sturdy burger topped with sweet, house-made chow chow, cheese and bacon, are perfect with a draft glass of local Sweetwater 420. Smoked salmon tostadas are perky with a corn relish and spicy chipotle dressing, and make a reliable nosh, too.
But burgers, beer — and even salmon tostadas — are hardly innovative items. Just because the menu touts relish and micro-shaved comte does not make Red Salt a gastropub.
It does make it a very popular spot that, in spite of a no-reservations policy, always seems to have a table within a few minutes wait. The staff seems eager to please. And Roswell loves it. Opened in early September, the small dining room is usually packed, even on weeknights.
The “double” chicken pot pie has already proved a hit despite a soupy filling far too seasoned with rosemary and an overworked pastry. Also dismal is wild boar sausage (which shows up again on the “gastropub” pizza) over farfalle in a sauce that smacks of the shelf, not the well-tended stove.
Other results are mixed: While wild mushroom risotto is starchy with tough tidbits of rice, the Vidalia onion rings in black truffle oil that top the dish are stellar rings of crunchy, tasty madness. Spicy lamb meatballs are not very spicy at all, but make a fun, meze-style appetizer with yogurt, dill and a sweet, house-made harissa. An apple crumble is all mush, while a tiny pear tart is just the right mix of sweet and crisp.
Though Red Salt may appear to be a gastropub, it’s really just another attractive crowd pleaser, like dark chocolate and deviled eggs.
Food: Gastropub, pub grub
Service: Crowd-pleasing staff
Price range: $-$$
Credit cards: Visa, Mastercard, American Express
Hours of operation: Open for lunch 11 a.m.-3 p.m. Mondays-Saturdays; dinner 5-10 p.m. Mondays-Thursdays, with limited menu 10-11 p.m. Open for dinner Fridays and Saturdays, 5-11 p.m., with limited menu 11 p.m.-midnight. Open Sundays for lunch and dinner, 11 a.m.-9 p.m., with limited menu 9-10 p.m.
Best dishes: Crispy chickpeas, smoked salmon tostadas, Red Salt burger, Red Salt pizza
Vegetarian selections: 7-onion soup, margherita pizza
Children: Yes, though it’s crowded and loud
Parking: On street or in nearby lots
Reservations: No
Wheelchair access: Yes, but space between tables is very tight
Smoking: On patio only
Noise level: High
Patio: Yes
Takeout: Yes
Address, telephone: 952 Canton St., Roswell, 770-998-4850
Web site www.redsaltpub.com
KEY TO RATINGS
Outstanding: Sets the standard for fine dining in the region. 
Excellent: One of the best in the Atlanta area. 
Very good: Merits a drive if you’re looking for this kind of dining. Good: A worthy addition to its neighborhood, but food may be hit or miss. 
Fair: The food is more miss than hit.
Restaurants that do not meet these criteria may be rated Poor.
PRICING CODE: $$$$$ means more than $75; $$$$ means $75 and less; $$$ means $50 and less; $$ means $25 and less; $ means $15 and less. (The price code represents a meal for one that includes appetizer, entree and dessert without including tax, tip and cocktails.)
