The Saloon

I've order lunch take-out from the Saloon many times, and I'm always pleased with the results. The crispy buffalo chicken wrap is fantastic. I did sit down to have dinner once. I wasn't very impressed with their dinner menu (or prices). It was relatively expensive for the quality of food.

I met a friend at The Saloon on a Wednesday evening. There were not a lot of customers there, but that could be typical of a mid-week suburban situation. We ordered a bottle of wine which was very nice and the server had a very good attitude as well.

I asked if the oysters on the half shell were fresh and was assured that they were. They were very disappointing. Being that the cost was $13 for 6 I expected fresh oysters. These were not. There was no brine and they did not taste great.

We also ordered the clams casino which I heard was good a this place. It was good! However, they had an arugula and tomato salad on the dish. This could have been a great accompaniment. Instead it lacked dressing and seasoning and was very tasteless and disappointing. All the cook had to do was taste it and pay a tiny bit of attention instead of simply putting it on the plate!

Finally, we had the anti-pesto plate. This was decent but way too salty. They did bring out some grilled bread but the amount of salt on the anti-pesto wiped out the palate.

The cook/chef needs to pay attention. There is too much competition within a very close range and unless this place does something to improve the food I will not be back.

The Saloon is a very simple name which leads one to think of the old west, a stage coach is nestled on the covered front porch where rocking chairs are scattered for those with weary feet. Turns out, there was never meant to be a Calamity Jane, nor Jesse James as this exact spot is the only area where a Civil War battle was fought in all of Buck's County and the building dates back to 1836, how cool is that cowboys?

The Saloon is rightfully named when you first walk in and your eyes rivet off to the right where a massive and gorgeous old polished wooden bar extends the length of the room. The bar stools were pretty well filled in and they have a separate bar menu, which I'm sure lures in the locals for a cold beer or drink after a hard days work and to feast on some delicious grub, be it a burger or a steaming hot bowl of tender mussels. If you choose not to sit in the bar, the open waiting area is adorned with cushioned booths and tables, again, a very relaxing and welcoming atmosphere.

You are quickly transformed into the twenty first century while approaching and walking through the dining rooms, with wildly colorful bright burnt orange walls, modern paintings and dim lighting, silhouetted by flickering candle light bouncing off the tables onto the walls and black shadow box dividers scaled perfectly in tiers with more flickering candlelight.

Forgetting all about the stagecoach and rocking chairs and honestly the saloon that greeted us once entering, I was not the least bit surprised that our server Donna was nothing like what I would expect Calamity Jane to be. Donna was ultra professional, while also being extremely friendly and so on spot like she was being judged for her performance. Michael ordered a coke, packed with ice, as always, I ordered a dirty martini straight up. Twas one of the best dirty martinis that I have ever had, was definitely the largest dirty martini that I ever had, I walked out of there singing!

By the way, we are booth folks when they are available and behind the main dining room and still open enough to be nosy, they do have quite a few booths which afford much comfort and privacy for heaven only knows what reason.

Down to the vittles, we shared the clams casino, they were good, the clams were tender, but no wow factor with remembering them as some of the best we have had, no bacon, did not notice peppers, nor onions, okay, but could really be licked up a few notches. After we had already ordered I witnessed a huge bowl of mussels going out which called my name, the trail of garlic and spices wafted in my face, so I will remember these for our next visit.

Michael had the chicken Marsala, might I add, the very best chicken Marsala that I have ever tasted! The chicken breasts were very small, unbreaded and so moist and tender, they literally melted in your mouth, the mushrooms were cut into quarters and were barely caramelized, so tender and there had to have been a good ten ounces of mushrooms, all swimming along with the chicken in the most delicious marsala wine sauce which was laced with plenty of freshly sauteed garlic, I think this is where I started singing!

I had, what else, the chicken parmesan, which was two huge breasts pounded and breaded perfectly, once again, cut easily with a fork and melted in my mouth! We both had options of either roasted potatoes or penne pasta, I chose the penne with garlic, red pepper flakes and olive oil and hubs had the penne with a marinara sauce. Michael always finishes his dish and did, but could have eaten quite a bit more. Rationing wise, I had twice the amount of chicken that he had and when they portioned out the penne, I got two thirds of it, while he got the remaining third.

The food was exceptionally well prepared, the ambiance and service was exceptional, their menu is very diverse, I just have to lay of the chicken parm, but I love it so. Next time, we'll saddle up the horses and while they are being watered, we'll dive into some mussels and a good hearty chop. So good, just go!
4.5 stars!