While nearby Dock & Dine is still struggling to find its way back after Hurricanes Irene
and Sandy,
the Saybrook Point Inn & Spa, with its upscale restaurant Fresh Salt, seems to have survived these major storms largely unscathed,
despite its location in the very mouth of the Connecticut River.
That location, where fresh and saltwater collide, is the origin of the restaurant’s name.
The approach from the inn’s main entrance to the restaurant takes one down some nicely appointed corridors.
Sunday brunch
and Girls’ Night
are popular attractions.
Just beyond the hostess station is the bar area,
where the following posted special got my companion’s and my attention.
We were led through handsome dining rooms
to a table with this view,
this couple on a date for neighbors,
and dare I say, fresh salt.
After we were seated, we were handed menus,
a wine list,
and this reiteration of the shad and/or shad roe special.
Bread and extra virgin olive oil
restrained our appetites until food began to arrive. For starters, we enjoyed an awfully nice cheese plate,
some of the sea’s bounty,
and the guava-glazed short rib.
For his entrée, my companion ordered a Connecticut-style lobster roll and freshly made potato chips.
But of course, I was there for the difficult-to-find seasonal treat that is shad and roe (which were available together or separately). Despite looking a bit like brain (in both the normal and the Friends sense), shad roe is a real delicacy, and our shad finished in a lemon and white wine sauce with applewood bacon and pine nuts was delicious.
Fiddlehead ferns were a nice touch.
As good as the desserts sounded, we were just too full to enjoy them.
At the end of our meal, we said hello to old friend and talented restaurant manager Billy DiCrosta.
Fresh Salt in The Saybrook Point Inn & Spa, 2 Bridge Street, 860-243-0212, www.freshsalt.net