Relish: (noun) 1. pleasing flavor 2. enjoyment
Pleasing flavor and enjoyment are both definitely on the menu at Susan Seiler’s new restaurant Relish on River Road. For those of you who can’t place the name, Susan Seiler is the former owner of Jack Fry’s. Here’s an overview of their concept, from their website:
Our menu is colorful. We believe in the power of fresh citrus, herbs, & healthy fats. We use salt, sugar, and fats in moderation. We start with fresh and quality ingredients, prepared in a simple and bright style.
Real. Honest. Delicious.
We invite you to relish.
Relish is next to Stop Lite Liquors on River Road, near the Big Four Bridge. It was formerly a barbeque place (that was also quite good, I must say). It has a clean, white, modern aesthetic and a fantastic view of the Big Four Bridge.
Beautiful view of the Big Four Bridge.
Walls are painted white and a few pieces of art hang here and there.
It is small, with only ten tables and one bar along the wall with more seating. We went to lunch at 11 a.m. and it was starting to fill up fast. By 11:45am, it was packed.
My lunch friend had sampled several things on the menu and declared herself a Relish addict. I see why. Here is their menu so that you can do your homework before you go.
Soups and sandwiches on front of menu.
Salads, small plates and sides on the back.
I picked the Tom Kha soup to start.
Tom Kha Soup: lemongrass, coconut milk, chicken and mushrooms
We both chose salads for lunch. I had the chopped salad.
Chopped Salad: roasted chicken, mixed greens, sweet potato, apple, shaved red onion, tomato, stilton and lemon-dijon vinaigrette
She had the crabcake and salad.
Crab Cake: blue crab, mixed greens, grapefruit, shaved fennel and tropical vinaigrette
My lunch was fantastic. The person next to us ordered the burger, served piping hot with a large piece of naan bread wrapped around it. I’ll be getting that next time. My friend, over several previous visits, had also tried the salmon (on the small plates) and several of the sandwiches and vouches that everything has been delicious.
We were offered an assortment of desserts, which we did not sample, but come the post-Lenten season, I’m going to make friends with the Sweet & Salty cookies. My dessert was a cup of decaf coffee, which was so rich and decadent it made me forget about the cookies. Relish uses Valentine coffee, and I will make it my mission to buy some of this coffee soon.
I relish the opportunity to explore the menu more at Relish. Currently, they are only open for lunch from 11:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., with extended hours for carry-out only until 7:00 p.m. during the week.
Relish is located at 1346 River Road and their phone number is 502-587-7007.
