“If for some reason I am ever in the situation where I have to choose a last meal before I die, I choose this meal!” That is what I told my husband as we were sitting in the Salt Tasting Room. He, of course, gave me that look that says “You are too dramatic for words”, but he agreed that the food we were enjoying was delicious.

I love this idea. I love that I live in a city where a meal can constitute a beautifully crafted meat and cheese platter with gourmet pairings and garnishes. Salt Tasting Room doesn’t even have a kitchen! They serve everything cold (because it’s supposed to be that way) and whatever needs to be prepped, it’s done down the street at their kitchen in The Irish Heather.

Salt Tasting Room was inspired by the Lord of Gastown, Sean Heather. He owns several establishments downtown, all of them successful. He took the idea of a Spanish bodega, underground wine cellars that have been turned into restaurants, and transplanted it to North America.

The Wine Flight - Fort Berens Cabernet Franc, Rose and Chardonnay

As a kid, I had the great privilege of living in Spain. I remember going to quite a few bodegas with my parents. They were usually on the outskirts of town, known only by the locals. You’d literally walk into an old tunnel and go down, down, down, until the air was thick. Then you would enter into a series of tunnels and rooms that were used as wine cellars. Tables were haphazardly set up throughout the place. There was never electricity, just a lot of candles. They would use tall white tapered candles that melted down into huge piles of wax, and then they would stick another candle on top. The reason for the candles was so that we would have an indication that oxygen was still around. If the candles started going out, it meant there were too many people in the room, taking up too much air. The menu was always rustic: cold Spanish tortilla, blood sausage, serrano ham… lots of sherry and wine. It was delicious, and unforgettable.

Arugula salad with shaved fennel and Sugared Almonds

Salt Tasting Room has some bodega touches, like nice long wooden tables and an exposed brick wall, but they have combined it with unmistakable modern Vancouver touches.

We partook in the Dine Out Vancouver menu for the night. Our first course was a fresh arugula salad tossed in a light citrus dressing with shaved fennel and crystallized almonds. It was crisp and clean. My favourite kind of salad. Uncomplicated.

For our second course, I chose the best of BC platter while my husband chose the meat platter. Each type of meat and cheese on my plate was paired with different ingredients and with a different wine  from a new local winery called Fort Berens to enhance the flavor. I loved the Abruzzo with the Piccalilli Relish paired with the Rose. So sweet and tangy at the same time. I’m a freak about good cured meats and cheeses.

Three pairings: Ambrosia apples with smoked beef, Piccalilli relish with Abruzzo and hazelnuts with ash Camembert

Dessert was simple sherry trifle. Not too heavy, not too light.

So, now you know. If I am ever on the verge of dying, please send me tons of Salt Tasting Room gift certificates.

Tags: Charcuterie, Places to Eat, Salt Tasting Room, Spain