It’s the highly anticipated Italian return everyone is talking about
In May, we got the sad news that Zeus Gods of Food was leaving Common Market, leaving a gap to be filled in the busy food market.
This was quickly filled with a slightly familiar face. Sal’s was announced to be coming into the space, and while it’s not a complete newcomer to the Belfast food scene, it was exciting nonetheless. In a former life, this was called Fat Sal’s and was found at Trademarket and 39 Gordon Street, so this is a rebrand and a new location for the food spot.
It was billed as ‘your neighbourhood Italian joint’, which will specialise in red-sauce Italian food like pasta, garlic bread, and meatball subs. Once I heard it was opening, I immediately headed in that weekend because I knew I had to give it a go.
Here’s what we ordered:
- Spicy vodka rigatoni, which was topped with spicy vodka sauce, N’Duja, chilli and parmesan.
- The sandwich of the month which was a meatball sub.
- Cheesy chilli garlic bread.
What we liked:
Immediately, you will notice that Sal’s stands out from the rest of its neighbours because of its unique look and its stripey awning. The menu here is also pretty simple, which I don’t mind because it means they’re working hard on the few dishes that they do have. It consists of four pastas, a sandwich of the month, two types of garlic bread and some Sicilian spuds, which all sounded pretty delicious.
We went for the vodka pasta, which has been doing the rounds on TikTok for a few years now, so it is pretty trendy and that always draws me in. It was a pretty hefty portion, which did not hold back on the ‘Nduja and sauce. It had a nice kick to it, but certainly wasn’t an overpowering level of spice. This was a really great pasta, with a perfect blend of flavours that I couldn’t get enough of.
However, the meatball sub was the star of this show for me, and I would urge them to keep it on the menu permanently because right now it is just a special. The bread on this sub was so soft and fresh, which goes a long way for me. The meatballs inside were absolutely huge, and paired with the sauce and melted cheese, it was one of the best subs I’ve had in this country.
What we would change:
Common Market is entirely street food, which we’ve come to expect, and I didn’t know what I’d think of pasta in that style, but it works in this setting. I do think there are a few tweaks, mostly just to the presentation or how it comes out, to make it perfect. The pasta came on a paper plate, and I think it would be better suited in a box, which might better reflect a pasta bowl, and this would elevate it a lot. Some people may prefer a plate, but I always go for a bowl when it comes to pasta dishes.
How much it cost:
Everything we got would have come to around £30, which was between two people and I thought it wasn’t too bad. It definitely is on the more expensive side of things in Common Market, but it does offer a good premium option there, which is definitely more than welcome.
I am very pleased to see Sal’s back, and even without the fat, this one is a winner in my eyes. It was very tasty food, which I think will be very popular amongst the crowds in Common Market.
It very much lives up to the promise that it’s going to be your ‘neighbourhood Italian joint’ in bucket loads with a simple but hearty offering. When you head in to try it out, you will be immediately planning your return because this, paired with the great vibes in Common Market, is a definite must-visit.
In the interest of fairness and transparency, we pay for all the meals and drinks we review. This ensures that we are giving accurate and honest representations of the food and service that we receive. So, unless we state otherwise that we were invited down, we have paid for the meal ourselves and visited without the knowledge of the eatery, so you can trust our opinions aren’t skewed by a freebie.
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