Taylor, MI — A fellow foodie and good friend, Robert Stempkowski, reached out last week and invited me to a special event he was curating. Some may remember Robert from my foodie adventure several months ago to SideStreet Diner in Grosse Point. I met up with Robert at the time, and we exchanged stories and highlights from our careers as food writers, journalists, and former food industry workers.

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This time, Robert informed me that he had partnered with Salute’ Taverna in Taylor and helped develop a new menu for the Downriver restaurant featuring several dishes reflecting his career as a chef and restauranteur. Robert invited me and a guest to a special menu tasting he was hosting at the tavern on Friday, November 1st. I was happy for Robert and excited about his new endeavor, and even more intrigued after hearing him explain some of the latest menu items he crafted.

Like myself, Robert spent some time living and working in Arizona. Robert worked as a chef and restauranteur in the Phoenix and Scottsdale markets for many years before eventually returning to his native Metro Detroit in 2022 (also like me). Robert’s new menu at Salute Taverna draws a lot of inspiration from his culinary career in the Southwest. Robert mentioned new items like the Twice-Baked Poblano Potatoes with Chipotle Cream and Scottsdale Salad. Some of the accompanying photos of the aforementioned dishes immediately snagged my attention, and I quickly typed a reply to Robert saying that I was down to attend.

I enlisted my friend Laurie to be my guest for the Chef’s Table event, which included eight others of Robert’s close friends. Fast forward a few days, and I was picking up Laurie to head to Salute Taverna at Goddard and Pardee roads in Taylor. I was eager to see how Robert would weave his Southwestern influence into these new dishes, especially since it’s a cuisine style not commonly found around Michigan. While it’s pretty easy to find Midwestern cuisine in Southwest transplant cities like Phoenix or Albuquerque, the same cannot be said vice-versa, so this is a refreshing take for the palates of Metro Detroit!

Laurie and I were in for a seven-course meal for this menu tasting. The dishes included the following:

• Citrus-Honey Salmon Crostini: dill cucumber, capers, red onion, curry aioli
• Sicilian Beef Soup
• Salad: baby arugula with roasted fig wrapped in prosciutto, bleu ricotta, garlic-tomato vinaigrette
• Salute’s Herb-Roasted Chicken Alfredo
• Brick-Oven Cod: bacon, leeks, and crispy polenta cake
• Charred Rosemary Ribeye Steak: roasted garlic, onion, mushroom ragu, honey-lemon acorn squash, twice-baked red pepper potato
• Dolce Parfait: wine-poached pear, pistachio amaretto mascarpone, choc-chip cannoli shell brittle

For only having taken the helm of this kitchen a few weeks ago, Robert wasn’t messing around! Laurie and I parked and walked inside just a minute after 6 p.m. We selected our spots at the Chef’s Table, where six others had already gathered and seated. We all exchanged introductions, and I learned that most of the other table guests were longtime friends of Robert or knew him through church.

The restaurant sits right next to the intersection, which remained steady with traffic throughout the dinner hour. The open floor concept was easy to navigate between four-squared tables opposite a long-seated bar. The eatery also has quite a spacious, well-lit patio area, albeit the weather is no longer our friend for such occasions. I looked down to the back corner where the kitchen was and saw through the window a large, bright red brick oven, which I bet Robert was utilizing for pizzas and other items.

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Speaking of, Robert came by the table just as the remaining two dinner guests arrived and welcomed everyone to the restaurant. Robert briefly reviewed a few of the new aspects and menu items under his stewardship and announced the menu tasting would be underway with the first course momentarily. Below, I’ll discuss the highlights and my favorite courses!

Citrus-Honey Salmon Crostini

The first course was a modest appetizer that packed quite the flavorful punch. The citrusy salmon had a lovely quick brick-oven bake, bringing out some great flavors from the salmon.

This fish paired very nicely with the dill cucumber, keeping the salmon from being dry and adding a salty/dilly finish. Even the bite from the red onion added was a little bonus on top of the curry aioli, culminating in a zesty counterpoint to the dill below. I was able to finish this in about three bites, each containing a bit of every ingredient, which altogether resulted in a great snack starter!

Roasted-Fig Salad with Prosciutto

This salad was particularly unique and interestingly balanced between the texture and consistency of the fig and prosciutto. I was a fig fan and enjoyed forking chunks off with some of the bleu ricotta and garlic-tomato vinaigrette sauces once blended. The ricotta brought that robust bleu cheese kick but was tamed and balanced out by the vinaigrette. Between both, this salad was well-dressed.

While everything had a soft composition, I loved the contrast between the mushy fig and the stretchy/chewier consistency of the prosciutto. The salty finish from the meat countered the sweet and sugary profile of the fig. This salad had opposite taste profiles and densities but worked surprisingly well. Only a few shreds of arugula remained by the time I was finished with the plate in an attempt to preserve some of my appetite for the remaining courses.

Salute’s Herb-Roasted Chicken Alfredo

One of Salute Taverna’s specialties — homemade fettuccine noodles with an alfredo sauce. Everyone at the table was a big fan of this course, which captivated the senses with its herbs and notable alfredo creaminess. The sauce was delicious and very cheesy, with the perfect amount smothering but not drowning the noodles.

The chicken (hard to see in the photo above) was perfectly cooked and cut into seasoned strips hidden throughout the sauce and underneath the noodles. Cheesy alfredo always wins with chicken, and this roasted chicken sealed the deal on the deliciousness of this dish.

Dolce Parfait

I’ll admit that by the time the seventh and final course was placed on the table, I hardly had any room left. But this dessert was visually so well presented and finely tuned ingredient-wise that I had to at least manage a couple of bites to pay my respects to Robert’s creation!

The wine-poached pears were an absolute treat visually as well as taste-wise. They were sweet but slightly bitter, having absorbed the perfect amount of wine to contribute to/affect the overall flavor and kept within a pleasant range. Scooping along with the pear, I encountered the pistachio crumble and creamy mascarpone, with a heavy dose of sweetness from the dolce dark chocolate.

The shell brittle was a surprising inclusion in terms of textures. While all the other ingredients kept a soft profile, the contrast with the crunchy cannoli exterior elevated this dessert in a way that felt like consuming a deconstructed cannoli with wine-infused pear slices. With the range of densities and sweet profiles at play, this is another phenomenal dish that I feel like Robert hit the nail on the head for, and I’m really glad I allowed myself a few more bites to enjoy it!

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The other courses of the tasting were fine and dandy for the most part, albeit with a minor issue or two with some of the temperatures of the foods. Overall, though, I can attest that Robert has crafted quite the signature menu for this new culinary era at Salute Taverna! I’m very grateful to have been invited and able to bring my friend Laurie, who also really enjoyed several of the courses, like the salad and pasta.

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It was also wonderful chatting with Robert’s friends throughout dinner. They were all very kind and really enjoyed the meal. A few mentioned that they had enjoyed Robert’s cooking before when he cooked for church gatherings and barbecues. After the dessert course, Laurie and I said our goodbyes, and I thanked Robert for the invite as we headed out.

My first downriver foodie adventure turned out to be quite a success! It’s certainly an area I want to explore more, often seeing many excellent recommendations on social media for downriver establishments from fellow foodie Detroit Pig Out. So, if you find yourself around the southeastern quadrant of Wayne County, consider stopping into Salute Taverna in Taylor and check out my buddy Robert’s Southwest-inspired cooking!

For more information about Salute Tavern, click here.