Q&A-List

Salt 88 | John Horvatinovich [Omaha]

Salt 88 — known as Salt: An 88 Restaurant — describes itself as “a New American adventure in cuisine” exploring the culinary mainstays of the Italian and Mediterranean region with a New World twist. Excellent ambiance, service and a wine list that includes a number of Oregon selections has earned it a 2016 Oregon Wine A-List Award.

What makes Oregon wine unique?
The people, plain and simple. You can have the best terroir in the world, ideal conditions for growing and still not put out a product like Oregon wine. The brand, the people and the wine all need to come together to capture your mind, soul and taste buds. I have found this all over Oregon wine country.

What do your customers generally know about Oregon wines?
Our customers trust Oregon wine.  Our list is comprised of 250 different bottle selections that span 35-plus regions across the world.  Oregon wines are one of the most often purchased at Salt and in a sea of wine choices, which says a lot about Oregon wines.  We know what to expect when we purchase Oregon wine, and we love it.

Name an Oregon wine that super-impressed your palate.
The 2012 Fairsing Yamhill-Carlton Pinot Noir, and I am not alone.  I have regulars, wine snobs, wine geeks, you name it, and they are all enjoying it as well. Fairsing Pinot Noir is unquestionably a well-built product and even better people are behind the label.

What would you like our readers to know about Omaha?
Wow, besides the fact that we don’t all live on farms and ride horses to work?  Well, we have a great art and fashion scene here in Omaha, which is gaining more and more attention and notoriety every year.  We have some pretty funny characters here, from classic comedians, actors and bloggers, to Twitter- and Vine-made famous people, so we kind of have a well-developed funny bone.  Oh also, we have a lot of restaurants … no, I mean like, a lot of restaurants.  So don’t be afraid to visit, take in some art, laugh and eat your way into our city.

For more information about this restaurant, visit www.salt88.com.