Salt of the Earth (4760 Red Bank Road, Madisonville, 513-272-3650) is a lunch café and dinner-to-go place that’s been helping home cooks round out their repertoire for the past 10 years. Very vegetarian friendly, but not exclusively vegetarian, they also do catering and carry a small specialty grocery selection. Owner Jim Jennings is a wine lover who travels to San Francisco a couple times a year to dine and wine with friends at restaurants like Kuleto’s in Union Square.
CityBeat: What’s the last great meal you had and where did you eat it?
Jim Jennings: I had a really good eggplant dish at Bella Luna. I went there to celebrate a friend’s birthday. I’m not a huge meat eater, so I look for good meatless dishes. And I tend to gravitate to good wine places. I’m looking forward to trying La Poste in Clifton.
CB: What’s the holiday dish that most people would rather buy than make?
JJ: Oh, good question. Most people like to make their own turkey, but they come to us for side dishes. We’re doing roasted sweet potatoes with granny smith apples and walnuts, spiced up with a little curry and turmeric. And gravy! No one likes to make their own gravy, apparently. It’s hard for me to make enough!
