For The Locals - Salt And Vine

Salt and Vine is a very new restaurant located in Olney, Maryland so we were thrilled to visit for a review to let our local Maryland friends know if it is actually worth a visit!

 

The first starter dish we tried were their Grandma's Meatballs that are made with a blend of beef, veal, and pork. They are served in a spicy red sauce with a side of parmesan focaccia and an herbed micro salad. The meatballs were nicely tender, not at all dry, and just enough spice in the sauce to force you to keep diving back in for more. 

The next starter we tried was their Cheese and Charcuterie that includes their chef's selection of worldly cheese and charcuterie. It was beautifully presented. The Italian meats were mouthwatering. The cheese was very creamy. We both also love pickled onions and it served with great bread made for several different perfect bites. We both agreed that it was just enough to enjoy and not be full for your main course.

 

For Courtney's entree she got their Penne alla Vodka which includes freshly made penne pasta tossed in a creamy red sauce with a splash of vodka. The menu said it would be topped with local fresh herbs and black pepper that we did not see, but the flavor of the sauce was still very strong. Courtney also added shrimp that were some of the best shrimp she's ever had. They seemed like small lobsters that were seasoned just right!

The next pasta was their Linguine with crab meat that also included a white wine butter sauce and blistered tomatoes. The sauce was mostly on the bottom of the dish which made it difficult to get a bite with the full flavor. Though, the blistered tomatoes were the best bites because the sauce was absorbed in them very nicely. A different shape of pasta that would better collect the sauce into each bite would turn this plate from a 7/10 to a 10/10. 

Let's take a small break from entrees to highlight one of their delicious side dishes. We tried their Brussels and Panchetta which were truly packed with flavor. Every bite was the right amount of crispiness we crave with Brussels sprouts and the panchetta added the perfect amount of salty flavor. 

Ed was very excited to try their New York Strip. His personal gauge for how much a restaurant cares about its customers is the grade of beef it serves. This was spot on and seasoned perfectly! Even cooked perfectly! Butter knife tender! An absolute 10 out of 10!

The last pasta we got was their Orecchiette Salsiccia that includes their freshly made Orecchiette pasta, local savory sausage, creamy white sauce, tossed with broccoli rabe, with a squeeze of lemon to complete the dish. We have no idea how they packed so much flavor into a classically simple pasta dish but it's banging!! This was Ed's favorite pasta of the night and would not change a thing about it.

Now it was time to finish our dining experience with dessert. We started with their House Made Truffles that included four Italian style truffles filled with chocolate soaked in sundried raspberry tea and rolled in cocoa powder. Direct quote from Ed, "These are stupid good! Would keep some of these in my pocket to snack on all day if I could!!" 

Next up was their Canoli Classico served as a trio that included a crunchy outer shell with a slight sweetness, stuffed with their house made filling.  The filling was deliciously creamy which was the perfect pairing to the crispy shell, and pistachios on the ends for perfect extra touch.

Courtney's favorite dessert of the night was their Limoncello Panna Cotta. The limoncello flavor was the absolute perfect semi sweet lemon flavor compared to some more sour lemon flavors. The dessert was smooth and very refreshing. Courtney recommends if you are out with others, order your own because you will not want to share this! 

The last item of the night was their Tiramisu Cake that includes chocolate, espresso mouse cake, and whipped cream. Ed is not at all a tiramisu guy, but the quintessential Italian dessert had to be tried. Ed thought it was actually quite good. Courtney does not love cake and prefers a more mouse base Tiramisu, but she also agreed the dish was still very good. We could taste all the layers with strong flavor! 

If you are in the Maryland area, Salt and Vine is a new and banging restaurant that we highly recommend you try for a delightful dining experience! The staff is very friendly which we always appreciate, and the food all came out very fast! We had a lovely time!