Salt Wood Kitchen and Oysterette

Marina’s new Salt Wood Kitchen and Oysterette enjoys a style beyond its locally-sourced product and its beautiful home to create a feeling that fits. From floor to ceiling, every detail is attended to with eye-catching accents, like a fireplace curtained by walls of abalone and oyster shells, jars brimming with colorful fermenting vegetables and modern light fixtures hanging from the high ceiling.

A balanced wine list tugs at the heart, with almost 50 bottles and plenty of by-the-glass options. Cool offerings include 2015 “Kobza” dry Riesling from San Benito County ($9/glass), 2013 Albatross Ridge Pinot Noir from Carmel Valley ($15/glass) and 2015 Smith and Hook Cabernet Sauvignon from the Central Coast ($12/glass). Several beers are also served, as well a multitude of classic cocktails and lesser-known ones too, like the Bucks Fizz ($10) with Chandon sparkling brut, orange juice and a twist of yuza.

Because this is an oysterette, we felt obligated to sample every one of the interesting oyster offerings, and felt that trying them on the same oyster would make for good comparison (all oysters $3/raw; $4/dressed). The oyster of choice: New York Blue Points, because they’re big and hearty and a great foundation for the fascinating garnishes.

Raw options include seasonal Swank Farms melon and cucumber, Granny Smith apple gelee-finger lime and the “Bloody Mary” mignonette with horseradish. The cuke-and-melon combo delivered refreshing and unique flavors with a very slight sweetness from cute little cubes of melon. As for the finger lime – little cellular pods of citrus that look like green fish eggs – the flavor was subtle, leaving enough lightness that one still tastes the creamy sea saltiness. The latter, being the most traditional, didn’t surprise anyone and was yummy nonetheless.

Things got more intriguing with the dressy picks: kimchi butter and scallion, béarnaise and tarragon pesto, and spicy sausage with herbed breadcrumbs. Full disclaimer: I had tried the kimchi butter oyster at the pop-up “Can I Live” lunch, a collab between Salt Wood’s celebrated creator and Executive Chef David Baron and Chef Klaus Georis (who worked alongside Baron at Casanova). At the lunch, the delicately-spiced buttery oyster was my favorite bite; the same held true at Salt Wood. The sausage brought solid competition with intense spiciness and a deep earthiness. Last but not least was the béarnaise and tarragon pesto, which the server raved about but I found a bit overpowering in herbiness that evoked a bitter green juice.

Plenty comes from the kitchen besides oysters, including appetizers roasted over the wood-fired grill at the center of the bar, like grilled sardines with fennel, grapefruit and radish ($12); salads like the baby kale with ricotta, stone ground mustard and pine nuts ($11); and entrees like the porcini-rubbed hangar steak ($30), the fried chicken with Schoch Farms Monterey jack cheddar biscuits ($26) or the seafood boil with mussels, clams, shrimp, sausage and veggies ($26). Salt Wood also features an ever-changing special: the daily catch for two, highlighting the fish of the day with two sides of your choice like wood-roasted potatoes with parmesan and salsa verde or sugar snap peas with soffrito, hot pepper and mint (market price).

Next a salad of heirloom tomatoes and burrata ($13) with balsamic glaze brought luxury and freshness together in a colorful marriage of flavors complemented by fresh herbs like basil, thyme and rosemary. A visual and delectable treat.

The grilled squid ($12) sounded too interesting to pass up. A peppery romesco sauce lay beneath two whole squid stuffed with kale and sausage, with chopped chickpeas for a little crunch and lemon for zest. Another fun small plate ordered as a side was a serving of Coke Farms shelling beans with Spanish chorizo ($8). The spice of the meat met the saltiness of green olives quite well, but don’t order this if you’re avoiding sodium.

The lamb shank ($31) called my name as lamb shanks usually do, and delivered my palate’s kind of plate: sweet, salty, savory. The caramelized onion and carrots provided delicately sugary counterparts to grainy and buttery polenta. The lamb itself was tender, with the typical gamey flavor of lamb enhanced by touches of rosemary. We were sad when this plate was over (and licked clean).

If you have room for more delights, Salt Wood finishes its menu with a selection of desserts with unusual touches, ranging from corn pudding with blackberries and sorrel ($10) to yogurt Bavarian with preserved lemon and watermelon granita ($10).

Manager Kyle Trudell’s words ring true in my head: “This level of a restaurant is new out here [in Marina].” The enthusiastic response affirms it. Baron provides not only a mouthwatering menu but a meal that’s well-mannered all around, without sacrificing fun and experimentation, while always grounding itself with carefully sourced ingredients. That’s a recipe for success.

SALT WOOD KITCHEN AND OYSTERETTE 3295 Dunes Drive, Marina. • 5-10pm daily; bar and lounge 3pm-close daily • (831) 883-5535, saltwoodkitchenandoysterette.com