A stickler for perfection in his own meals when dining out, Gomez brings that expectation to the dishes at his own restaurant. Nearly everything is prepared from scratch and is made with traditional ingredients and recipes from his upbringing in Los Altos de Jalisco in Mexico.
“It’s a little different than most of the Mexican places they call authentic. They change the way they present their dishes, or even ingredients, to accommodate the taste of the majority of people,” Gomez said. “I’ve got to keep my identity, and the identity of the food is this way.”
Popular dishes include the ribeye ($29) and the Sal-O-Mon ($12), which is a shrimp appetizer served with cheese bread filled with chipotle sauce on a base of spicy avocado salsa. Traditional Mexican breakfast dishes, tacos and seafood also share the limelight on the menu.
The lynchpin of the restaurant’s service is a wine list meticulously curated by Gomez, who developed a passion for vino while living in Paso Robles, California, among dozens of wineries, he said. His fascination with wine began after he started visiting those wineries regularly and drinking a glass or two with meals at the suggestion of a cardiologist.
His philosophy as a restaurateur has been to make high-end wines accessible to his patrons, forgoing some of the staples found in other establishments to focus on high-quality bottles.
“I am the opposite of most restaurants,” Gomez said. “My house wine is the wine that I feel proud of, so my house wine is $100 a glass.”
However, Sal-O-Mon does serve more affordable wines, as well as more expensive ones, with prices ranging from $10-$800 a glass.
Gomez also hosts exclusive wine dinners for regulars with an appreciation for vino. At these invitation-only events, he serves a prix fixe menu with specially selected wines valued far above the price of admission, he said.
“I don’t want this to be like any other restaurant,” Gomez said. “I want to share my experience with everybody else.” Sal-O-Mon
311 FM 306, Ste. 103, New Braunfels 210-451-0142. www.facebook.com/salomonfood
Hours: Tue.-Fri. 11 a.m.-9 p.m., Sat. 9 a.m.-9 p.m., Sun. 9 a.m.-3 p.m., closed Mon.
