Brunch of the Week: Boulder's Salt the Bistro

Choose your favorite style of sparkling wine for Salt's mimosas. The Denver Dish

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Salt the Bistro has been running as an organic, farm-to-table restaurant for more than twenty years, taking advantage of Boulder County's fertile farmland. New executive chef Roy Benningfield has continued that tradition — which started with chef/owner Bradford Heap — and buys local, organic produce to highlight his menus for both dinner and brunch.

Like the dinner menu, Salt's brunch is upscale but approachable; if the eatery's New Orleans-style beignets aren't calling you already, something else will!

Starting with brunch beverages, Salt offers its regular cocktail list and weekly specials, then adds a "make-me-a-mimosa" kit that comes with a bottle of champagne and juices to mix with it. Pick your bubbles, whether cava, prosecco or cremant, then choose three juices from a changing list that could include orange, pineapple, cranberry or pomegranate, to create your own colorful cocktail.

Salt's French toast is simple and classic; mine was served without crusts — which might be a selling point for some, since it's all fluffy and no chewy. Sides of fresh berries, whipped cream and mint maple syrup shine as sweet and creamy sidekicks.

click to enlarge

Beignets? Beign-yay!

The Denver Dish

Standing out among the usual brunch suspects was the steak frites served with fried eggs; all other options seemed to disappear as I contemplated a plate of perfectly cooked wagyu beef. The order comes out huge, with a haystack of fries, generous slices of steak, a side salad and two eggs cooked to order. Benningfield sources grass-fed and grass-finished wagyu beef; the result is lean, but so tender it renders your steak knife useless.

The chef explains that the only non-organic vegetables he uses are potatoes, because he hasn't found an organic potato that makes great fries, and he’s not willing to sacrifice quality or crunch.

He points out that his team uses wood-fired grills for much of the cooking, even at brunch. “We also try to offer as many plant-based options as possible,” Bennington adds, adding to the allure for vegan brunch-goers.

Salt the Bistro is located at 1047 Pearl Street in Boulder and serves brunch on Saturdays from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. and on Sundays from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. For more information, call 303-444-7258 or visit saltthebistro.com. Hot tip: Make a reservation online if you can, because Salt is definitely a hot spot on the weekends.