(Photos courtesy of One Stop Writing Shop)

If you have a list of favorite Bend restaurants, make room for one more, ‘cause you’re going to fall in love.

I’d been hearing about Salute for a while. Some friends raved about the $42, three-course special (just mention that to your server if interested). Another couple touted the restaurant’s seafood. Once I finally got there, I understood why.

My restaurant review posse and I started our meal with two appetizers. The sea scallops in limoncello beurre blanc with prosciutto dust, crème fraiche, herb oil and, surprisingly, butternut squash puree, were downright heavenly. The cook on the scallops was next level, my three friends and I agreed. “A lot of people come back just for the scallops,” our fantastic server said. I will most assuredly fall into that group. While the sauteed calamari in a tomato, oregano, and garlic sauce would have captured my heart with lots more briny capers, the four of us appreciated the tenderness of the perfectly cooked squid.

Soup and salad came next. The silky cauliflower bisque with roasted chanterelles and pickled golden raisins (another unexpected ingredient that worked beautifully, providing a bright, acidic contrast to the creamy purée) is another dish I’d return for. We were just as excited about the harvest salad. Dueling flavors and textures of the frisée, roasted delicata squash, smoked duck breast with hints of cinnamon and allspice, and thin slices of crispy pear in a light sherry vinaigrette positively danced on our palates.

The pasta course didn’t disappoint either. While the penne alla norcina – with its house-made garlic sausage and locally foraged wild mushrooms in a cream sauce – was comfort in a bowl, three out of the four us agreed that it got outshined by the black truffle risotto with poached langostinos and roasted delicata squash. I wasn’t sure that combination would work, but the earthiness of the truffles and the sweetness of the seafood and squash played off each other like a cappella harmonies.

We continued our dining extravaganza with the seafood pesto – featuring prawns, scallops, and mahi-mahi piled on a bed of linguine in a basil-pinenut cream sauce – which confirmed that Salute executive chef and owner Jeremy Buck, who trained in Florance, Italy, is a master when it comes to cooking seafood. He’s pretty darn great with beef as well, as our hanger steak in a port wine sauce proved with its crusty char. The expertly seared, tender meat was accompanied by Anna potatoes (think super thinly sliced, layered potatoes roasted in duck fat) and brown-butter Brussel sprouts.

It would have been tempting to say, “It just doesn’t get better than this,” and call it a night. But our server had mentioned that the restaurant had a new pastry chef. So, we had to at least try a couple of Kaitlin Ullman’s sweet treats, including an adorable molded pumpkin cheesecake and a flourless crémeux cake with silky chocolate-hazelnut mousse and two types of crunchy crumble. Not to be missed, just like the rest of Salute’s offerings!

Salute Restaurant & Bar
1045 NW Bond Street; Bend
541-323-0279 • salutebend.com
Sunday-Monday: 4-8pm
Wednesday-Thursday: 4-7:30pm
Friday-Saturday: 4-8:30pm
Closed Tuesdays

salutebend.com • 541-323-0279