Salt and Board boasts Parisian atmosphere, French flavors
Salt and Board boasts Parisian atmosphere, Francophile flavors
In a city not particularly known for its Frenchness, Salt and Board in the Brick Light District is the most French place in Albuquerque.
On a recent visit to this high-end sandwich shop that doesn’t necessarily style itself as Francophile cuisine, I found a decidedly Parisian atmosphere.
It’s located in the Brick Light District just south of the University of New Mexico campus, in a brand-new storefront just off East Central.
The food at Salt and Board is relaxed and even familiar. Specializing in panini-style sandwiches and charcuterie boards, the menu is sparse but American-friendly: traditional sandwiches, salads, cheese-andmeat boards, gourmet relishes.
Salt and Board has a rotating menu, so expect some specials and chef’s selections.
On a recent visit, I started with the chef’s choice charcuterie board and had to ask for a to-go box.
Best shared by a table (or at least a couple), this “appetizer” was piled with prosciutto, homemade salami and pepperoni, spicy and sweet and savory sauces, little slices of toasted baguette.
For $14, you will not find a better selection of high-end meats and cheeses — in Albuquerque or Paris. The prosciutto was out of this world, and paired with the spicy housemade mustard or the traditional brie, the match seemed like it was made in heaven. Such delicate flavors, such balance you will not find at your local sandwich shop.
The sandwiches at Salt and Board are top-notch.
Selections include Cuban pressed sandwiches to choices for the more mature palette like the chicken liver pate or the mushroom pate sandwich. I tried the Croque Monsieur ($12), as French as it gets, with ham and Gruyere cheese melted between grilled bread and paired with a salad or arugula and mixed greens in a very light house dressing. The sandwich was small but intense, and served hot.
The salad was also notable. The arugula added a bit of a kick,
and the sweetness of the dressing balanced the flavor beautifully. The ingredients were as fresh as they get.
A béchamel sauce in the sandwich — classically French, of course — gave it a distinction, but the gooey cheese and crispy toast provided a perfect texture. It’s one of the best sandwiches in town, if not the cheapest. (They also have non-European offerings such as bánh mì-style sandwiches and the millennial-friendly avocado sandwich, both of which are made to order, so they’re fresh.)
Beer lovers will find no fewer than 20 local and regional brews on tap. Salt and Board also has a decent wine list, but beer drinkers will find nirvana here. All the best local brews are represented, and the tap list is the least French part of the whole place: just a few options from France, while most bottles comes from Oregon or California.
Next to the university, Salt and Board is a classy escape.
Parking can be a hassle, but you can usually find plenty of free parking nearby if you’re willing to walk a little. Prices are moderate, so don’t expect dinner for two on the cheap, but it’s so fresh and original and international
that you won’t mind much.
This is, after all, what is meant by gentrification.
Also worthy of praise is the atmosphere, mostly windows but with modern accents and service ware. The staff is incredibly friendly and able, despite the newness of the restaurant, and it’s so casual but special that it makes a perfect first-date meeting place.
And the food is the restaurant’s most endearing feature — one worth returning for.
The best cuts of meats paired with the freshest, most flavorful cheeses, served on slices of liveedge cutting boards and paired with homemade relishes, one of which tasted like bacon-flavored jam, all make Salt and Board one of the city’s most exciting new restaurants and a musttry destination for local gourmands.