Cheers to Salú

Last week, I was invited to attend the Salú Grand Opening Soiree. Salú is a tapas and small plates restaurant and wine bar, the latest offering from Byblos restaurants co-owners Gaby Saliba, Tarek Tay and Hicham Khord. Salú is located on Magazine, in the space formerly occupied by Catch. Salú takes its name from various translations for cheers: Salud (Spanish), Salute (Italian), and Salut (French). Salú’s ambiance is warm and inviting. Salú’s focal point is the hand painted skylight in the center of the restaurant. There is a spacious bar area, perfect for enjoying the extensive list of wine and cocktails.

The Salú team knows how to throw a party. There was no shortage of drinks, with a constant flow of red and white wine, champagne, sangria, Pimm’s Cups, and Magazine St. Martinis. The dining area was anchored by a bountiful spread of cheese, charcuterie, olives, marinated artichokes, and other cold tapas. Servers passed a variety of tapas, including smoked salmon pate, chicken and mango salad, and duck and manchego flautas. The crowd favorite was the mascarpone stuffed medjool dates, which were wrapped in bacon. I often order dates at tapas restaurants, and Salú’s dates are one of the better versions in the city. 

The prosciutto and potato croquettes were also delicious. I regrettably passed these up several times, thinking they were falafel. Luckily, I discovered my mistake and enjoyed several of these yummy croquettes. Also tasty was the BBQ pulled pork, served on corn fritters with red onion cilantro salad. Salú’s menu is full of affordable options, with most items priced under $10. There are several other dishes that I would like to try; the crabmeat and four-cheese flatbread is at the top of my list. Plus, I can’t get enough of the medjool dates or the potato croquettes. I plan to make a date with Salú, those dates, and a glass of wine very soon.

Salú

3226 Magazine Street,

New Orleans, LA 70115