Chalk up another point for hipster gastronomy. Off-the-beaten-path Saltie, specializing in sandwiches, coffee, baked goods, and—drumroll—ice cream, is a hit! You’re thinking, Another bodega? Saltie is a far cry from the typical corner joint. The tiny establishment, located on Williamsburg’s 378 Metropolitan Ave, is the mind-baby of Caroline Fidanza, formerly of Diner, the hipster Mecca.
Our hunger-induced visit left us biased, and satisfied, critics. The cornbread and chocolate-filled pastry with mocha cappuccino was multi-orgasmic. Not so the Mystery Sandwich. The “mystery” means the restaurant chooses the sandwich. For us, the restaurant chose the Spanish Armada, a sandwich which looks good on paper but, like the original Armada, was not well-organized and sank. Each of the three ingredients were tasty, but the proportions were wrong—like a Britney Spears song with too many violins. The focaccia is superb, as is the potato tortilla filling; but too much southwest style sauce—it was a focaccia action movie with Tom Cruise sauce.
Despite these minor disappointments—including limited seating—we urge a visit.
Saltie: 378 Metropolitan Avenue, 718-387-4777.
-- Spencer Stewart