Brand New [WEDNESDAY]

New Savoury in Gastown

Wednesday, July 12, 2006

So the latest thing seems to be these "opening soon" blogs. Rare got one going in the lead-up to their opening earlier this year, and Sean Heather has jumped into the blog fray with run-along commentary on his Salt Tasting Room, due to open today – yes, today! – in Gastown’s Blood Alley.

Now an address in Blood Alley, you might say, sounds covert. Yes, it is that. You can only reach this place by the alley, so it’s not somewhere you are likely to stumble across by accident. But our guess is that people will find Salt anyway.

This small 50-seat locale will serve up thick cured meats, artisan cheeses and a whole lotta red wine. Options available on any given day will be listed on a blackboard, featuring ten types of meat, cheeses and condiments. For 14 bucks you choose three items from the cheese and meat menu, and three condiments – and design your own tasting plate! Pour in a choice of 40 different wines by the glass, and you’ve got yourself a party.

To whet your whistle, the blog (http://www.salt.inknoise.com/salt) is loads of fun to peruse, from the trips and stalls encountered getting a new biz off the ground, to the trips and thralls in Seattle, New York and Chicago while honing the concept and searching for the finest cuts of meats.

See you there!

Salt Tasting Room, Blood Alley, Gastown, (604) 633-1912, www.salttastingroom.com