Love, Memories & Chocolate Cake

A 42nd anniversary leads the PubScout and the Missus to Salt 64 in Oak Island, where impeccable steaks, stellar seafood and an over-the-top dessert make for a celebration to remember.

And just like that, another year has flown by, so the Missus and I can now say we’ve been married for 42 years.

Six or seven happy, but forty-two altogether. (JK, Your Grace, JK.)

We never really got into Christmas gifts for each other (since we were each other’s gift), and we saw Valentine’s Day as a commercial scam. Even birthdays just rated a card.

But anniversaries are special, so we usually go out to a nice place to celebrate. And since we transplanted from Jersey we’ve been to some really nice places down here — Ruth’s Chris in ILM, Bluewater Dining in Wrightsville Beach, Oyster Rock in Calabash and others.

Back in the Northeast we even celebrated at Windows on the World before the Twin Towers were attacked. And before we had children, so we still had money.

But we just added another special place to that list for our special day, spurred by a recent article about the place in the spring Issue of SPT-OKI Magazine.

It’s in Oak Island and it’s called Salt 64 — salt because it’s the most oft-used ingredient in food (and they’re close to the sea) and 64 as an homage to the Jones Seafood Company, founded in 1964 in the edifice that now houses this excellent eatery.

The place is a lot larger inside than it looks from the outside. One side has plenty of dining tables and a very welcoming square bar, and the other side is primarily for dining, couples, foursomes and larger groups.

There’s an eye-catching, impressive wine room on the bigger side, and manager Ted Marks hinted that it may soon be undergoing some redecoration.

And as he’s responsible for ordering all the wine, beer and liquor at Salt 64, he would know.

A journeyman in the restaurant business, he’s been around for 30 years making his bones. Most recently, he was in Minnesota managing a large group of restaurant businesses, but he and his wife decided the southeast coast of NC had more promise.

Considering the lines waiting to be seated in anticipation of enjoying Chef Jon Spencer’s culinary wizardry (reservations are VERY strongly suggested), I’d say Marks assessed the situation accurately.

Of course, on the night of my visit, we were smack dab in the middle of “the season” but Marks shared that Salt 64 does not lose a whole lot in terms of clientele after the season has ended.

“We get great support from the locals here all year long,” he says, “and we really appreciate their patronage.”

And loyal patronage is built by one thing — satisfaction with the product.

I heard a few groups of guests leaving and paying unsolicited compliments to Marks (and of course Chef Spencer) about the excellence of their meals and their visits in general. More than one group of at least five gave Marks a, “Thanks! ,We’ll be back!” as they exited to make room for those waiting.

After the anniversary meal we enjoyed, it’s entirely understandable that patrons would return.

Our app order, which we split, was aptly called Crack Toast, because after eating one bite, you were hooked as if on a powerful illegal drug.

But there was much more to enjoy. The Coastal Sunset Bisque, a creamy, lobster, shrimp, crab and scallop bisque with sherry, was positively off the charts and among the best I’ve ever had. And I’ve had some good ones.

For her entree, the missus opted for the Port City Crab Cakes.

She repeated what I said above about the bisque, and as she’s known as the Crab Cake Queen, that’s high praise indeed. “Almost all delicious Lump Crab,” she managed to eke out between mouthfuls.

I was mightily tempted by the scallop dish, but I hadn’t had a really good steak in many moons, so I went with the 8 oz. Filet Mignon.

When it came to our table, the young lady who delivered it politely asked me to cut into it so I could assure her it was done to my specifications — medium rare.

So, I put down my Flying Dog Imperial IPA (8.7%) and obliged her.  And it was. So perfectly done, so buttery smooth you could chew it without your teeth. It was exactly what a perfect steak should be.

It being our anniversary, we splurged and inquired about dessert. The nice folks at the table next to us overheard us trying to decide which we should get, and they leaned in and said, “Get the Chocolate Cake. We came here expressly for it and we not only enjoyed the heck out of it, but we wound up taking half of it home.”

Novices, I thought to myself. What kind of wimps leave good chocolate cake and take it home in a doggie bag?

Turns out us.

And so would you. The dessert that came to us was so huge, so towering, so downright delicious, I doubt there are any geezers like us who wouldn’t have taken half of it home.

Sated, we waddled out to our car for the trip home to OIB — with our precious cake safe in the back seat.

And with the memories of another outstanding meal that helped us celebrate yet another year of chocolate, er, marital bliss.

And to add another place to our list of where to celebrate next year.

Want to go?
Salt 64
6404 E. Oak Island Drive, Oak Island
(910) 933-1019
Open for dinner Monday through Saturday
Salt64.com