THIS RESTAURANT IS CLOSED Salve

THIS RESTAURANT IS CLOSED Salve Restaurant Review:

Salve, a long-anticipated newcomer of perennial favorites Janet and Phil Cobb (Mi Piaci, Natura Café, Dakota’s and Black-Eyed Pea have all experienced the Cobb touch) exactly recreates the feel of a long-established Tuscan restaurant, complete with a piazza. While it’s a big place, the soft lighting and the mix of old and contemporary design combine to create a cozy atmosphere. Open just a week on our recent Saturday night visit, the restaurant was packed with VIPs (easily recognizable from the society pages) who been eagerly awaiting the opening of this ideally situated Tuscan treasure. However, because it had been opened such a short time, the pace of the service was off, but that problem should be quickly rectified, as ever-popular maître d’ Wayne Broadwell (formerly of The Mansion on Turtle Creek) runs a tight ship. The food, however, is right on the mark. Meals can start in the bar with nibbles like crostini and imported olives, or at the table, with an outstanding selection of breads, and four pots of go-withs (like a chicken liver spread, a salt cod paste, tapenade and chunks of Parmesan) on a nifty footed tray. We can heartily recommend both the veal rib chop, heady with a truffle balsamic sauce, and the lamb chops that managed to be both crusty and juicy at the same time. End your meal with a plate of upscale doughnut-type rounds, filled with chocolate and ready to dip in crème anglaise or a berry sauce.