The owners of Grain & Gristle have expanded to NE 42nd Avenue with a supper house/deli/bar mashup called Old Salt Marketplace. A bakery and a cooking school are slated to join the mix.
Beyond the “local beer, fresh wood and food” at Grain & Gristle (you’ve seen G & G’s impressive bar, right?) and warm atmosphere, I was immediately a fan of Grain & Gristle’s rich menu. So rich, that one night after the pork belly special and one too many cocktails, I could feel the pork belly trying to escape my pores as I swerved home on foot. I smelled of braised meat and roasted vegetables, and oddly enough I had hoped for the same experience at Old Salt Marketplace.
Old Salt Marketplace gave me that same rich-to-the-bone feeling as G & G, but with a dash of freshness and color. The beet salad with pistachios, soft herbs, and crème fraîche and the grilled asparagus with new potato salad are examples of this bright yet hearty menu.
Beef tartare, buffalo-style cardoons, kale salad and smoked trout were just a few of the other options on the smaller plate menu.
Not a protein is left out on Old Salt’s meatier section that includes a roasted half chicken, catfish, grilled pork, ham hock, roast beef and duck, in addition to a kale and mushroom lasagna.
As I dashed through the rain to the safety of my car, I smelled of roasted meat once again, but this time it felt a bit lighter, even brighter.
Note: I visited the supper house section of the establishment but missed trying a sandwich from the deli, as they only serve sandwiches from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Karen Locke 
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