And the winner is: Wes Johnson. The name of his new restaurant: Salt.
Johnson recently signed a lease at 4348 Lindell Blvd., a property that's been vacant since Savor closed in June 2008. Why so long? Not surprisingly, the former funeral parlor translated into an odd place for a restaurant, with a lot of walls and a lot of small rooms. But the space is intimate, despite its quirks.
Most of us remember Johnson from his days at The Scottish Arms, when he and buddy Brendan Noonan revamped that menu, then moved on to open the highly-acclaimed Shaved Duck. When a decision was made to simplify The Duck's menu, Johnson and Noonan moved on, only to reappear together again at Joe Edwards' Eclipse. (In retrospect, that menu change--to smoked meats and barbeque--was a good thing. The Shaved Duck is alive and swimming.)
Now, curiously, Johnson will remain involved at Eclipse as well.
Why the name? "It's basic to cooking," says Johnson, "Salt is an ancient condiment with a connotation that's essential to food." Salt's menu will be locally-focused and American-based, with entrees in the $12-22 range.
With only minimal cosmetic changes planned, Johnson expects Salt to open at the end of March. Sweet!
