An UNFORGETTABLE Dining Experience in Salem! Amazing Food, Cocktails & Service!…read more
Oh man, where do I even BEGIN?! My husband and I were lucky enough to snag a reservation at Ledger during the first weekend of October in Salem, which honestly felt like winning the lottery! And WOW, did this place deliver!
First, the atmosphere is SO cool! The restaurant is located in a historic former bank, and you can still see the massive original vault door! It's the perfect combination of historic charm, chic design, and trendy vibes.
Now, I HAVE to give a huge shoutout to Kristina, our incredible server! She was absolutely phenomenal! Her recommendations were spot-on, she was so attentive, and she even helped us celebrate our anniversary with the sweetest little surprise. If you get the chance to have Kristina as your server, you're in for a treat! She truly made our evening extra special!
Now let's talk FOOD AND COCKTAILS!
We started with their seasonal apple cider cocktail, and it was AMAZING! I was expecting something overly sweet and syrupy, but it was the complete opposite! It tasted like freshly pressed apples with a bright squeeze of lemon and the perfect blend of spirits. So refreshing and beautifully balanced!
For our appetizer, we ordered the famous popovers. Y'all, these things were the size of BOXING GLOVES! I'm usually a traditional bread-and-butter girl, but these were such a fun New England experience! They came with a delicious spiced apple butter and a savory beef tallow dipping option. Such an interesting and unique combination!
Then came our entrées, and GOODNESS GRACIOUS!
My husband, Ben, ordered the rigatoni, and it was absolutely delicious! The pasta soaked up every bit of that incredible sauce. I was practically scraping his plate for whatever little bites he'd let me steal!
I ordered the chicken, and I am not exaggerating when I say it was one of the BEST chicken dishes I've ever had in my life! The meat was unbelievably juicy and tender. The juices practically poured out when I cut into it, while the outside had this perfectly crispy, golden crust that almost reminded me of a pork rind! The contrast between the crispy exterior and juicy chicken was HEAVENLY!
To top off our anniversary dinner, Kristina surprised us with an adorable cookie that said "Happy Anniversary!" But let me tell you, the chocolate buttercream used for the lettering was SO delicious I practically wanted to lick the plate clean!
We were way too full to order dessert, but their Halloween-themed seasonal desserts looked SO fun and tempting! Everyone around us seemed to be enjoying their food, cocktails, and desserts just as much as we were!
One last thing I absolutely loved: Even though we had a reservation, we finished our Salem activities earlier than expected and decided to stop in ahead of our scheduled time. They were able to seat us at one of their communal tables, and we had the BEST time! We ended up chatting with the people sitting next to us and making new friends! It added such a fun, unexpected memory to our evening.
My recommendation? BOOK THE RESERVATION! Especially during Salem's busy October season! But if you can't snag one, definitely ask about the communal seating.
Between the incredible food, fresh seasonal cocktails, gorgeous historic atmosphere, and Kristina's outstanding hospitality, Ledger was easily one of the highlights of our Salem trip!
10/10 WOULD ABSOLUTELY COME BACK!