While visiting Boston, we looked for best restaurants in the city. Our top pick was Saltie Girl, who came with high review and good menu offerings. They are kind of small, and they do not take reservation. When we got there, they had no table available, so we put our name on their list.

Right at the entrance is a bit narrow, with a bar with very cute tile. Since their logo features a mermaid, it is fitting that the tile resembles fish scale in beautiful aqua color. The issue is that there is no “waiting” area, so it is best to leave, go check out to the shops nearby, and wait for them to call you when your table is ready. This might be a bit troublesome on a rainy or snowy day…

The bar was fully stocked with pretty tile on the wall. There is a bar seating that goes from the entrance all the way to the back. The bar counter is pretty nice, big and spacious. We sat at the bar, and we didn’t feel cramped there. With all the food and drinks, we still had enough space on the bar counter.

They have booth seating across the wall from the bar, but not many. The booth is not that large, it can only seat four people. This is not a place to bring a large group. Four might be the maximum, unless you don’t all need to sit together.

 

Along the bar counter, they have the drink bar at the front half, and the back half is the raw bar. This is where the cold items are created. They have a main kitchen in the back, where all the hot dishes are prepared. Everything was very organized and clean, with decoration that reminds me of old ships. It is a small space, but very cozy, charming and welcoming.

As we sat in front of the raw bar, we got to see some of their cold appetizer dishes being prepared in front of us. One in particular caught our eyes, when one of the chefs started to torch a dish that looked like some sort of sushi. It looked so good, we added an order of that dish after we already put in our main course dishes. Our server knew we were looking intently to the creation of the dish, so when we added the order, he couldn’t help but giggle… LOL. It is a smart marketing to create some dishes in front of you, it certainly get people’s attention and interests.

So, what was this interesting dish? It is called Torched Salmon Belly ($16). First, they torched 4 small pieces of tomatoes, on both side. Then, it was put on the round-shaped sushi rice.

Then, he got a large piece of salmon and he sliced them perfectly with his sharpened knife. He placed the salmon on the top, sauce it up, and then torched them again. He was pretty skilled, it was fun to watch. And the scent of salmon belly as they get torched can really get to you, especially if you are hungry.

The Torched Salmon Belly is made with torched tomato, tahini, sushi rice and green onion. It was prepared perfectly, not really a typical sushi, but it was like their take on a new sushi ball creation. The sushi rice was cold, which got heated up a bit with the torch. Four pieces come with the order.

They are rather small, but for appetizer, it is just the right size. It had sweet sauce under the tahini sauce, which went great with the salmon belly. It had interesting mix of ingredients that worked really well together. The salmon and tomato became extra tender from being torched, the whole thing just melt in your mouth…so good!

For main dish, my hubby ordered an intriguing item, Fried Lobster & Waffles ($32). It comes with sweet corn butter and spicy maple syrup. It was their version of chicken and waffle, but made with fried lobster. I don’t remember if I ever had fried lobster, so I was curious how they are going to turn out.

 

And to be honest, they didn’t really look like much. Maybe because it was just all brown…? Having a pop of color in the dish works with waking up your appetite. This one, not so much. But, that all changed after just getting one bite. Waffle was soft and fluffy, and the corn butter was out of this world! It was simply amazing! It had sweetness from the corn, coating the waffle with warm, loving caress… Fried lobster pieces were huge and plump. They were lightly fried with thin batter, not greasy at all. Very meaty! With the sweetness from corn and waffle, syrup with a little kick, fresh and fluffy lobster, it was a symphony to my taste buds. Great dish!

I wanted to get a burger, so I went with the one that had their restaurant name with it. It was Saltie Girl Burger ($26), made with three beef blend patty, gruyere cheese, avocado, fried lobster, house cured pork belly, and angry sauce. Yes, mouthful… I did wonder how all of these ingredients are going to fit between buns…and it was a monster! Fried lobster was put on the top of the bun, like a pretty little bow on a top of a gift. Well, it was more than just a little bow, as it was big, plump, and you can actually eat it!

I had to contemplate on how I was going to eat this… I ate the fried lobster first. And just like the ones on the waffle, it was fresh, soft and tasty. Then, I cut the burger in half and went right in. The patty was super juicy and packed with flavor. The burger had some kind of a seasoning, giving a tiny little kick to it, which enhanced the sweetness of the other ingredients. Cheese was a-mazing!!! It was gently hugging the patty, melting oh-so-perfectly over it. Creamy avocado and fresh veggies added extra texture and refreshing flavor. Bun was toasted nicely, soft and fluffy. Needless to say, we enjoyed this dish tremendously as well.

It also came with monstrous amount of fries. They were soft and potato-y with nice seasoning. Addictive!

At the end of our meal, our server brought as a cute and interesting item to us. It was an “interactive” wet towel with fun action! The towels come dry, compacted, and small. The two middle square is filled with water. You drop the dry towel into the water…

Then watch it grow as it absorbs all the water! Once it stops growing (only takes a couple of seconds), you can take it out, unfold, and voilà! There is your wet towel to clean your hands! I love it, I wish all the restaurants have this thing…

We had a fabulous lunch here. Our server, Robert was very friendly and welcoming with a warm smile. All the other staffs were nice and efficient. And I liked how the torch master who manned the raw bar section cut up the fish as they needed. He sharpened his knife a couple of times while we were there, getting a large piece of fish, fillet and slice them. So the fish pieces are not just sitting there all day, but fresh and tender. The price point is a bit high, but certainly get very high quality dishes, and the portion is great too. I would love to go back to this restaurant again when we go back to Boston for sure!

 

Saltie Girl – 281 Dartmouth St, Boston, MA 02116