With a string of fine-dining restaurants under his belt, including the much-lauded Mizuna and Luca d’Italia, it might seem surprising that Frank Bonanno would open a sandwich shop.
Then again, this is a man who opened an Asian noodle shop ( Bones), a barbecue joint ( Russell’s Smokehouse) and an upscale speakeasy ( Green Russell).
So it probably makes sense that Bonanno, a transplanted Jersey boy, would open Salt & Grinder, where he could share his Italian deli fixation with others.
It’s a cozy space that doesn’t feel like a typical deli at all. Yes, you order at the counter by the door and pay before the food is brought to you. But the room itself, located on a bustling stretch of West 32nd Avenue in Denver’s Highland neighborhood, projects warmth.
Bare brick lines the west wall, while the east wall has a bank of dark wood bookcases fronted with glass doors. Their shelves are filled with price-tagged wares from sundry Bonanno Concepts restaurants. For $20, you can buy a Salt & Grinder T-shirt that allows you to give the place free advertising when you don it. Hey, who says there are no deals left?
The shop seats 20, and two upholstered banquettes flank the wooden tables, mainly two-tops. Additional seating is on the streetside patio.
While Salt & Grinder emphasizes Italian fare, it doesn’t do so exclusively. Two Reubens are on the menu.
Sandwiches come in “full” and “double” sizes, though a full-size one can feed two. Most are served on grinder rolls that Bonanno developed to his specifications, working with Jeff Cleary of Grateful Bread. His goal was to duplicate the deli bread of his youth, somewhere between a hoagie roll and a baguette.
Meats are sliced when the sandwich is constructed, so as to avoid drying them out. It’s a nice attention to detail.
One standout is the Tigs, named after a childhood friend of Bonanno’s.
It’s an old-school Italian sub, with prosciutto, ham, salami, roasted red peppers, provolone, lettuce, tomato and a red wine vinaigrette, which could have used a bit more bang and bite. Still, it is packed with flavor, though you might want to salt it just a bit, and the thinly sliced though generously portioned ingredients meld when you bite into the sandwich. Salt & Grinder also offers a kissing cousin to this sandwich called the Frankie, with fresh, housemade burrata subbing for the provolone, and coppa instead of salami.
The Rare Beast, piled with house-roasted beef, was a carnivore’s delight. The shop keeps it simple, with shredded iceberg lettuce, tomato and mayo. I quite liked the sandwich, but couldn’t help but pine for some horseradish sauce for the beef.
A classic Reuben won’t make you forget the Carnegie Deli’s version, but it’s a tasty amalgam of pastrami, corned beef, Swiss cheese, sauerkraut and Thousand Island dressing on rye. The 32nd St. Reuben, a variant, swaps out the corned beef and kraut for turkey and slaw.
The meatball sub was a winner. Served on a grinder roll, the coarse meatballs were covered in housemade mozzarella and Bonanno’s own marinara sauce. The man may be 1,800 miles from Hoboken, but he still knows how to conjure “gravy.”
Sides are thoughtful. While you can get a bag of potato chips, you can also ask for a quinoa salad, another version made of orzo and arugula topped with grated Parmesan, a sturdy German potato salad and other go-withs, including a bland cucumber salad.
A word about the beverages: There are an array of sodas, with Boylan’s the featured brand. Six beers are on tap, and you can choose the wine of your choice, if you stick to white, red or pink.
There is a rather novel cocktail program. Cocktails are served pre-mixed in jelly jars, and you add your own ice at the soda fountain. You can opt for vodka pineapple lemonade, a margarita, an old fashioned or a John Daly, essentially a juiced-up Arnold Palmer (iced tea and lemonade if you don’t hang out at the 19th hole).
Salt & Grinder is a pleasant addition to the Highland neighborhood, and is already doing a bustling breakfast-lunch-dinner business.
William Porter: 303-954-1877, wporter@denverpost.com or twitter.com/williamporterdp
SALT & GRINDER
Sandwiches
3609 W. 32nd Ave. 303-945-4200, saltandgrinder.com
**Very Good
Atmosphere: A cozy, casual room that feels more like a mainstream restaurant than a sandwich shop.
Service: Fast, friendly
Beverages: Sodas, beer, wine, selected cocktails
Plates: Breakfast sandwiches, $5.50-$7; salads, $5-$14; lunch/dinner sandwiches $7-$17, depending on whether they’re sized “full” or “double.” (“Full,” a single order, can still feed two.)
Hours: Daily, 7 a.m.-8 p.m.
Details: Street parking
Two visits
Our star system:
****: Exceptional
***: Great
**: Very Good
*: Good
Stars reflect the dining reviewer’s overall reaction to the restaurant’s food, service and atmosphere.