Selah

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     This area is not exactly a haven for foodies.  Most of the restaurants are either chains, or one of the thousand or so Italian places.  That's why I get so excited when I find a restaurant that's doing it right.  Selah in Struthers, Ohio has got it.

     Selah is located in an old bank building, which is a cool idea, and you can even dine in the old vault, but that idea does pose some problems for the place.  Space is limited, and walking through the dining room, trying to avoid the large support beams and the other diners, is a bit of a challenge.  It only has one bathroom, a unisex room with a door that opens literally three feet from one of the tables.  Glad we didn't sit there!  The entryway and lounge where you sit to wait for a table is also uninspiring; with storage space being limited they've stacked some things there that they shouldn't have.  From my table I could see a closet where they threw the soiled linen napkins when they cleared the tables.  The door was ajar, which didn't matter because there was a window in it anyway, and the pile of napkins was literally 4 feet tall.  Not attractive.  The rest of the decor is very cool and well done, but there are definitely some kinks they should work on working out!

     Not so with the food.  This is a chef who respects his ingredients.  Our salads were beautiful, a mixture of greens lightly dressed with something that I'm determined to figure out so I can steal it for my salads at home.  The appetizer, marinated shrimp and avocado, was perfect.  Everything shone, from the roasted red peppers to the light pink sauce.  Delicious.  And the entrees were also well done.  I had chicken Francaise, and again every flavor was brought out.  The lemon was the star but not overpowering, and the amount of pepper in the sauce was perfect.  My husband had an encrusted pork loin with apple-bacon-pecan-chutney, and though it looked complicated, nothing got lost in the the mix.  Bravo.

     The prices were also reasonable, and we stayed under $60 even with drinks and a tip, which for us is unheard of.  All in all, I'm really rooting for this place.  It was busy last night, and I hope it stays that way.  I'm also looking forward to the time of year when they open up the pretty little patio and we can sit outside.  I know this will become one of our favorite places.