The Tuesday night pre-theater dinner crowd packed Salute to capacity, spilling out onto the outdoor patio, and I was rather lucky to score the last available table. Without a tremendous restaurant scene in downtown Hartford, it made sense that this upscale restaurant, so close to the city’s theaters, would be hopping. But there was something more than that which made it seemingly everybody’s choice.

The energetic scene of hustling staff members and happy diners all stems from the dedication of Salute’s owners to create a fine dining experience. Co-owner Jimmy Cosgrove was present when I was there, not afraid to get his hands dirty by serving water and moving tables and chairs himself. He apparently knows everybody, often on a first-name basis, and if he doesn’t when you walk in, he will by the time you walk out. That sort of hands-on involvement and care has created a loyal clientele, as has, of course, some outstanding food.

Try This: Spread generous amounts of the fantastic tomato butter on your warm, soft and crispy bread while you’re examining the menu and order up a cocktail, like Salute’s Arnold Daly, a mixture of sweet-tea vodka, citrus vodka, and house-made lemonade. Your appetizer should be the excellent house-made ravioli with sweet-potato filling and sage crema. A superb choice for an entrée is the lemon- and panko-crusted cod with house-made mashed potatoes and perfectly sautéed broccoli. If you’re feeling full after all that, you still shouldn’t skip dessert, especially the light lemon cake with powdered sugar, a dollop of whipped cream, and berry syrup. To make the entire experience even more memorable, my bill was accompanied by a little bag of four complimentary almond biscotti to take away.

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