Saluté

In the heart of Greytown, make a beeline for Salute cafe restaurant, popular for both its consistently excellent food and for its great setting.

Like the Wairarapa region, Saluté gets better as time goes on.

FINALIST IN 'CUISINE RESTAURANT OF THE YEAR 2005'

and... WAIRARAPA'S BEST RESTAURANT 2003-2004 - Micheal Guy's Eating Out Guide.

There is a lovely outside seating area, complete with fountain, trees to give you shade on the hot summer days, and in winter they light up the fire to give a warm and inviting ambience.

Enjoy their robust fare with strong Middle Eastern and Mediterranean flavours.

Contact:

83 Main Street, Greytown
Phone (06) 304 9825
Fax (06) 304 9564
Email: reservations@salute.greytown.co.nz
Website: http://www.salute.greytown.co.nz/

Dominion Review
Des Britten

Saluté, on this calm summer evening gave off a very appealing and inviting appearance, helped by its open airiness and outdoor oak-tree-shaded tables and chairs. This was matched by a friendly “nice to have you here” type greeting.

It wasn’t long before I sensed, being quizzy, that a dominant force out the front and in command on a hectic night had some connection with another dominant force I could see plying the pots and pans and studying the multiplicity of orders flapping in the breeze.

Yes they were a husband and wife and their teamwork, along with loyal local supporters at their right and left, had things running harmoniously.
Mediterranean flavours have the kitchen on high alert here. I like them because they’re big, bold and spicy. Before we did anything else, our birthday bash group desired some punchy-flavoured caramelised onion and olive pizza bread to enter the proceedings. Its fresh-from-the oven yeastiness, along with hits from anchovy fillets, told us we’d done the right thing here.

The Redhead, who instantly reads “gnocchi” as a “green for go” signal, took on a spinach and ricotta variety, gathered around piperade (red and green peppers stewed in tomato), a hit of smoked paprika which added interest, a toss of basil and a shave of parmesan. Happiness seemed to prevail.

Mussels, I like steamed with all their generous natural juices, but I went for these battered blokes, spiced and chickpea-flour coated. Complain I would not, because they had a thing going on with a lemony humus and peppery watercress salad, which all clicked. A salmon gravalax, sandwiched between crisp wonton wrappers and a new potato salad revelling in its roll of chopped dill, worked well and looked very Two Towerish.

The kick of new spuds followed through in a garlicky mayonnaise version (aioli), with courgette strips and slow roasted tomatoes underpinning a crispy skinned salmon fillet. Being a mite pernickety, its heat treatment could have been a little less, exposing it to more rareness.

The tenderness of pink lamb made instant love to soft creamy polenta, potent to the extreme with parmesan. The flavours of the Med waltzed in and danced with spiced corn-fed chicken breast and I liked the way it tip-toed its way around fresh roasted and slightly charred sweetcorn kernels, eggplant and olives.

Delving into desserts had us devouring a rich, moist orange and ground almond cake, dribbled with lemon curd and macerated oranges. Just to keep the foursome happy, we sneaked in a spoonful each of chilled summer pudding, bursting with raspberries, strawberries, pomegranate molasses and, just for good measure, ice cream and clotted cream. The diet starts tomorrow, do you believe?

With spots around like this to dine well, no excuse is needed to negotiate the hill and have a very indulgent weekend in what the Wrap (Wairarapa) can unfold.

Bon apetit.