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 apple cider brine on the chop had given the exterior a slight but noticeable acidic taste. 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. 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. 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.
Rebecca gave us exceptional service throughout the meal, and in fact was one of the best servers have had in a long time. 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. 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. At fifteen dollars for three small burgers it would even make an interesting light lunch or shared appetizer. 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. We wouldn’t have known the foie gras butter was there at all except for the additional oiliness, so completely was it obscured.
When used without restraint, it overpowers the flavor of the meat, making the expense of Kobe beef a complete waste. 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. 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. As a general thing I’m a classicist about Caesar salads, but this was one innovation I don’t mind at all. 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. 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. 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. The food doesn’t have the same consistency, alas – there are some excellent and silly ideas side-by-side. 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 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. 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. Offering something for everybody is a sound strategy, since freedom of choice is what a restaurant menu is all about. Some restaurants offer the same range of amenities, with spaces designed to be intimate adjacent to boisterous public areas. 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. 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.
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