Salute Special Events

We had a great experience at Salute for their Mother’s Day brunch buffet. It was only $ 21 a person, kids were $ 11, and kids under 5 were free. That included coffee, tea and soft drinks, with optional mimosas and a Bloody Mary bar. We were seated in the basement wine bar and the ambiance was excellent. It was a little difficult to make our way through the tables and chairs but it was cozy and intimate. On to the food! I was most impressed with the appetizer table. The highlights were spinach and strawberry salad, smoked salmon, artichoke dip, cheese filled sweet peppers, and the most amazing rip apart garlic bread! Plus a few differently topped pizza squares; I would try a return visit to their café for pizza. The entrée table included chicken, beef, ham and maple glazed salmon with two types of potatoes, two types of pasta and mixed veggies. The salmon was quite tasty. The dessert table was INSANE and just inside the entryway. We’re talking magic cookie bars, multiple types of brownies, two Italian cakes, pecan bars, etc. Next to the pastries was dark chocolate fondue with fresh fruit, cookies and pretzels for dipping. Go down to Flat Rock for your next special occasion, you won’t regret it!

Dear Owners,
What a mixed bag of feelings I had when I dined at your establishment tonight! First was WOW! What a cute place! Do we really have a «wine bar» with this kind of atmosphere downriver? I saw a picture of your establishment on a friend’s Facebook page a while back, she told me about you and the pictures didn’t lie, it is as cute, quaint and cozy as I had expected. I was fortunate enough to have a
certificate so I could check you out!
We were seated in a little alcove that felt cozy and private. We ordered a bottle of white wine. Our waitress delivered two glasses. She explained to us that she wanted to keep our bottle under refrigeration so it wouldn’t get warm. As a pretty serious wine drinker, this isn’t the way it’s done. We want the excitement when our bottle arrives and the special feeling when the wine is opened for us. Teach your staff how to properly serve a wine, or don’t call yourself a «wine bar.» We asked for our bottle, and nursed it through the food. It did get warm, if you invest in those stainless steel or clay coolers your staff won’t have to worry!
Your waitress made a little mistake; she delivered the bread for us to another table even though we were next. She looked us in the eye and apologized. She is a keeper; you don’t often find folks like that — except Downriver — the in your face honest type. This made a negative into a positive. And the bread! Seriously, home made, with lots of warm crispy outside and soft insides and a sauce with a little extra zing on the finish! YUM! My little secret is that I have been gluten-​free recently, not tonight, not with that bread on the table!
The salads were gorgeous — homemade dressing, mixed greens and lovely. I can’t help but wonder if a little cracked pepper offered for my salad would have added another nice flair? I like this too. It isn’t an expensive thing to do and gives you that extra-​special feel.
Next was the hard part we waited a long time for our food. We were getting frustrated. Apparently, tonight was the first night of a new menu. My husband liked his Chicken Saltimbocca, but my swordfish was a bit over-​cooked. My polenta was kind of watery.
What did you do? Both proprietors came to the table, looked us in the eye and apologized. You shook our hands. You let me make suggestions and took me seriously. You are «salt of the earth» people and you WILL succeed. Our meals were comped due to the extenuating circumstances. This is what I like about Downriver; the no-​nonsense approach of its people.
I have seen enough of your restaurant that I will recommend it, I will be back, and I will not be disappointed! I will also write another review, and I know it will be a star or two better. Folks will give your cute place a chance, and they won’t be sorry!
Sincerely,
Lisa L.

Visited the ROC last night with my bride! Maiden voyage for her, enjoyed the pizza again and the Sherrard trio provided the musical entertainment! Perfect again, a real jewel to visit!

We booked this venue for a luncheon to follow my father in laws funeral. Janelle was very helpful with setting everything up. The buffet menu has several options — roasted chicken, beef, cordon bleu, ham, etc. For a flat fee ($ 15.00), you can choose one entrée’, pasta, veggie, and salad. Potatoes, bread, and dessert is included. I was pretty excited that on the menu they offered honey baked ham. I was extremely disappointed to see the ham in person. I would equate the slices to a bologna slice. Honey baked ham, maybe, but The Honey Baked ham with crunchies, it was not. :-(So on to the beef burgundy, I’d rather not. It was horrible, I opted not to even finish it. The roasted chicken was good, full of a variety of herbs. The redskin potatoes would have been great had they not been undercooked. The Caesar salad had the right amount of dressing, not too much, not too little. The croutons had that perfect crunch, but not overly hard. The twisty bread was so good, it didn’t even need butter. Everything else was good. The included dessert consisted of connolis and brownies. I’m not sure, but they tasted homemade and were really fresh. They do have a full bar should you desire cocktails. The servers were pleasant and for the mostly attentive. We chose to add a couple entrees to have a variety for our guests, which you can do so for a nominal fee. They do charge a service fee of 18% which we were told is for the room, china, and linens. We were kind of confused when we got the bill and there was an additional section to fill out for gratuity. Apparently this is on top of the 18%. No biggie, just wish it had been clarified ahead of time. Salute is conveniently located in the little downtown area, but can be easily missed. There are some trees blocking the view of the sign, difficult to see if you’re not familiar with the area.

I just hosted a baby shower in the ROC wine bar room. It was fabulous. Everyone loved the décor and the cozy atmosphere. The staff was wonderful, the service very attentive. The food (we had the sandwich menu) was as beautiful as it was delicious. As the host I appreciated that they set up the room as I desired, even making some last minute changes for me. Their prices are very competitive and I would use them again in a heartbeat.