Shock and awe at Below the Salt

SALISBURY — Chef/owner Noah Sexton hosted a pre-opening party at his Main Street Salisbury restaurant, Below the Salt, on Thursday, Aug. 2. Samples were passed of the restaurant’s snappy homemade ramen noodles, succulent/crisp fatty pork belly and two pigs heads, which were snapped up quickly by diners, who nestled the pork meat in homemade Chinese buns.

The restaurant officially opened the next evening, Friday, Aug. 3, and was packed with diners by Saturday, Aug. 4.

The normal hours will be Thursday, 5 to 10 p.m., Friday, 5 to 11 p.m., Saturday, 5 to 11 p.m. and Sunday from 5 to 9 p.m.

Available on those nights is the restaurant’s “noodle” menu — which includes much more than just noodles. 

There are several ramen offerings (most are $14), with toppings that include everything from bok choy and cockles to exotic mushrooms and “onsen eggs” (inspired by the traditional Japanese eggs cooked in the waters of an onsen, or hot spring).

You can also get Chinese pork buns ($8), Sichuan chicken with rice cakes ($12), lamb wontons in chili oil with silken tofu ($12) and more. Or you can go whole hog — or well, actually you can go half pig’s head (the price will vary depending on the market price) or a whole red snapper with mushrooms and a leek-scallion slaw (again, the price will vary). 

On Fridays and Saturdays, there will also often be a tasting menu, sometimes prepared by Sexton and sometimes prepared by visiting chefs from restaurants and catering companies from Litchfield County, Dutchess County, Berkshire County and New York City.

On those evenings there will be two seatings and a prix fixe menu. The choices on the opening weekend were chilled corn soup topped with caviar and clotted cream; or  beef tartare. 

Main course choices were chicken roulade with braised fennel, wild mushrooms and charred farro; or wild sockeye salmon with gnocchi and summer squash. The cost for three courses including dessert was $60 per person. 

The tasting menus are posted online; check them out and the noodle menu as well at www.belowthesalt.com. The restaurant’s phone number is 860-596-1127; there were some problems with the online reservation option, it’s not a bad idea to call and check.