Salt Creek Grille [RESTAURANT REVIEW]

Salt Creek Grille
Salt Creek Grille

Image courtesy saltcreekgrille.com.

The very best parties I have been to were the ones with a variety of moods, where a quiet conversation in a roomful of books is only a few steps away from a place of loud and wild revelry. Some people will spend all evening in intellectual pursuits, some in noisy hedonism, and a few people like me will enjoy both, with an occasional stop at the buffet table along the way.

Some restaurants offer the same range of amenities, with spaces designed to be intimate adjacent to boisterous public areas. Offering something for everybody is a sound strategy, since freedom of choice is what a restaurant menu is all about. Still, it takes a lot of space for either a restaurateur or a party host to offer this variety of environments, so it is uncommon to find varied public or private gatherings.

The Salt Creek Grille has plenty of real estate to play with, and they have used it well – there are quiet alcoves, an airy bar by a more enclosed lounge, an indoor-outdoor patio, and tables in the small garden for those who enjoy appetizers and drinks with a view of the Whole Foods parking lot. Through all the areas there are appealing combinations of irregular natural lines with modern cool symmetries, and it’s comfortable, relaxing place that should be a showpiece for the designer.

The food doesn’t have the same consistency, alas – there are some excellent and silly ideas side-by-side. We started out a recent dinner with one of each; a Caesar salad served over grilled Romaine, and a trio of Kobe beef sliders topped with foie gras butter and Humboldt Fog cheese. Whoever first thought of grilling lettuce over mesquite must have faced suspicions that he was out of his mind, but the technique really does work. The brief contact with heat sweetens the lightly bitter romaine lettuce and gives it a subtle smoky flavor that is a perfect match with the Asiago cheese and lightly garlicky dressing. As a general thing I’m a classicist about Caesar salads, but this was one innovation I don’t mind at all.

Salt Creek Grille

Image courtesy saltcreekgrille.com.

On the other hand, the only reason I can figure for to taking perfectly good Kobe beef and topping it with foie gras butter and Humboldt Fog cheese is to see how many expensive ingredients you can use at once. Humboldt Fog is the king of goat cheeses, with a rich flavor that goes almost into gorgonzola territory, and when used with restraint it can make a very good cheeseburger. When used without restraint, it overpowers the flavor of the meat, making the expense of Kobe beef a complete waste. We wouldn’t have known the foie gras butter was there at all except for the additional oiliness, so completely was it obscured. If I ordered this again I’d ask for one with the butter, one with the cheese, and one plain, just to get some idea of the three flavors. At fifteen dollars for three small burgers it would even  make an interesting light lunch or shared appetizer.

With our appetizers we shared a flight of wine from the very good list – an Iron Horse Blanc de Blancs, Bex Riesling, and Black Goose Chardonnay, all fairly priced at three to six dollars for short pours. The Iron Horse arrived flat – a common problem with sparkling wines by the glass – and when advised of the problem our server Rebecca immediately brought a fresh glass. Rebecca gave us exceptional service throughout the meal, and in fact was one of the best servers have had in a long time.

We considered a seafood special that Rebecca had suggested but we were in a meat mood, so we ordered braised short ribs and what the Zagat Guide claimed was the “Best Pork Chop on the Planet.” The short ribs were very good, the port wine glaze infusing a subtle sweetness into every nibble, but the pork chop was less impressive. It was an imposing mass of meat, a double cut about two inches thick that could feed two people, but as is often the case when pork is cut that thick, it was on the dry side. I would have rather had two chops that were more moist and tender – the presentation would have been less impressive, but it would have been a better meal. The apple cider brine on the chop had given the exterior a slight but noticeable acidic taste. It worked well when paired with the sweet apple chutney or the baked apple that were also on the plate, but it was really a distraction from the flavor of the meat. The sides on both items were vegetables and horseradish mashed potatoes, but we substituted the garlic fries with the ribs. Both starches were well done, the horseradish in the mashed potatoes used sparingly to add a little flavor, the fries fresh and crisp on arrival, with enough parsley and garlic to give herbal overtones to the meal. We enjoyed sharing another flight of red wines (Simi Cab, Terrazas Malbec, and Wild Horse Pinot) and sat over the remains of our meal listening to a lively jazz combo in the next room. The gargantuan portions made any thought of dessert laughable, and we departed when the last of the wine was gone. It had been an interesting but uneven experience, and on the way home we mused over the combinations of marketing and personal taste that must have led to some of the menu combinations.

Salt Creek Grille

Image courtesy saltcreekgrille.com.

I returned two days later to see if lunch would be any different, and was immediately impressed by the fact that there was a pianist playing sprightly jazz and show tunes. Does any other restaurant in the South Bay have live music at lunch on a weekday? It was an unexpected delight.

After considering the menu for a while and querying Abel, our waiter, about his recommendations, we decided on a barbecue chicken salad and a French dip sandwich. The barbecue chicken salad was exceptional, a well-considered mix of gorgonzola cheese, chunks of Granny Smith apple, lightly smoked chicken, tomatoes, corn, avocado, and tortilla chips in a cilantro-ranch dressing. There were elements of sweet, smoky, and spicy along with the avocado and corn richness, a lot of flavors that each added to the mix. Compared with this salad, the French dip was very plain – tender meat on a fresh roll, but with a bland au jus that needed some hint of herbs or garlic to liven it up. It wasn’t bad, but it wasn’t up to the level of the salad.

I always wait a while after a restaurant opens before reviewing it so the restaurant can iron out any bugs in the menu and service, and I followed that rule here. The service on both visits was professional and knowledgeable, and though there are still some frustrating inconsistencies in the kitchen, a good meal can be had here. My advice: ask your server what is best, trust them to be right, and you’ll do well.

The Salt Creek Grille is located at 2015 Park Place, Across from Whole Foods in El Segundo. Open daily for lunch and dinner, valet parking, designated parking area. Starters $8 – $17, entrees $11 – $37. Reservations recommended – call 310-335-9288.

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