The Salted Brick

‘Country-Club Cuisine on a Family-Dining Budget’

By Rick Allen • Photos by John Jernigan

Four years ago, a little-known eatery out on U.S. Hwy. 27 was the Cinderella story of the 2015 Taste of Ocala.

With the unwieldy name of Trilogy at Ocala Preserve, its staff took home accolades for Best Presentation and Best Dessert, a mini-ice cream cone rolled in Pop Rocks. Who were these guys? A few weeks later I found them at Ocala Preserve, a 623-acre golf and residential community just starting to build on the western edge of a bunch of new commerce out that way. The award-winning restaurant was tucked into a side of the tour center, in a space resembling more a breakfast buffet room at a hotel than an eatery in its ascendancy. The kitchen was makeshift: countertop propane burners and a convection pizza oven.

Despite the simplicity, this kitchen was cranking out top-notch meals. And it was gearing up to host a glittering gathering of the Silver Springs International Film Festival.

Fast forward two years to 2017 and a permanent clubhouse to showcase the eatery, now dubbed The Salted Brick in homage to Ocala’s age-old nickname “Brick City,” is complete.

“Each space here is named for something Ocala,” says Robert Parody, the club general manager who oversees The Salted Brick. The facility boasts a dedicated chef’s table and its own demonstration kitchen.

An atypical feature are the 183 wine lockers, small climate-controlled storage units for holding private stashes of wine belonging to club members.

My wife and I visited on a recent Wednesday for lunch. We walked right in and were immediately impressed with the welcome warmth of its woodand-brick decor touched with contemporary flair. Later, we were impressed with our meals.

“All is built around lifestyle,” Parody says. “Trilogy is your third phase of life: you grew up, you worked and had your family, now it’s time to relax,” Still, about 70 percent of the restaurant’s patrons come from beyond the entrance.

“People make everything,” he adds. “This is bricks and mortar, but it’s the people—the people who live here, who work here, who come here—they’re the ones who Shrimp & Grits make us what we are. Our identity is the way you feel when you come in.”

WHERE: The Club at Trilogy at Ocala Preserve might be a gated community, but The Salted Brick is open to the public. A friendly greeter at the gate will cheerfully direct you to the clubhouse.

WHY GO: Most of us go where we go mainly for the food, but an ambiance factor makes it all the better. The Salted Brick has both. It’s a place to meet with friends, cool down after 18 holes, or savor a bottle of wine.

Chef Ralph Cipollo, lured away from the Club Med resorts empire, likes to tweak requisite corporate-core menu items with local touches. The remainder of the bill of fare is his playground.

“I want to bring in more Florida and Caribbean influences,” Cipollo says, integrated with fresh regional flavors. These’ll change regularly. In the Seasons 52 model, the menu here changes every three or four months. His goal, Cipollo adds, is to present a cuisine that’s “simple, tasty, and consistent so people know what they’re eating.”

Shrimp & Grits

BEST TIME TO GO: Daytime, lunch through pre-dinner, if you’re interested in a quieter walk-in-sit-down experience. Parody says if you’re more inclined toward an “inviting, fun atmosphere,” then evening hours are for you. “We pretty much have something going on every night,” he says.

SALTED BRICK?: The idea of naming facilities here is to honor Ocala and its past, Parody explains. For instance, the demo kitchen is named “Rose Farm’s Kitchen” after Carl Rose, a famous Thoroughbred breeder. “Brick” refers to Ocala’s nickname when it rebuilt after the 1883 fire. And “Salted,” he adds, is a reference to Himalayan salt licks for horses because the acreage Ocala Preserve occupies once was a horse farm.

YOU’LL BE IMPRESSED BY: The views from the clubhouse. The stun- ning view of Reflection Lake as you walk in the front door, then the vista of fairways alongside of the lake.

Millionaire Burger

YOU MUST TRY: We asked our server, Summer Smith, for a recommendation. She suggested the millionaire burger and the sage and butter orecchiette, ear-shaped pasta in a mild cheese sauce with chicken, diced ham, roasted butternut squash and wild mushrooms. I can say from personal experience that the French onion soup is great. Parody adds that the pizzas and burgers have always been popular, but the most-ordered item is shrimp and cheese grits.

But more than the views, I was impressed by the prices, which are surprisingly reasonable. Only one item exceeds $20. Entrees range $12-$19, sandwiches $10-$14, and artisan pizzas $11-$14. This is country-club cuisine on a family-dining budget.

“We haven’t taken it off the menu since the beginning,” he says. “It’s a Charleston-type dish.”

Parody also suggests the eatery’s signature butter cake.

FRIENDLY STAFF: Our server was as sunny as her name. Summer was attentive to our every need, checking back with us regularly. Parody says that’s the main characteristic he’s after when hiring.

“I look for friendliness,” he says, “whether they’re a veteran or just starting out. They do their utmost because they care.”

INSIDER TIP: In addition to its ample wine list, the Salted Brick features four varieties of wine on tap: a Pinot Grigio, Chardonnay, Cabernet, and Malbec.

This is a relatively recent concept in shipping, storing, and serving wine. Their metal casks are reusable, meaning corks, bottles, cartons, labels and such are not necessary. Moreover, “wine poured from the cask is always served fresh and allows us to skip the bottling process,” according to a note on the wine list. Essentially, Parody says, there’s no need to let a wine aerate after it’s been decanted. “It’s served with a clean, fresh flavor,” he adds.

HIDDEN TREASURE: “The spa,” Parody says. “We have a beautiful spa here, but nobody uses it.” And it’s open to the public, he adds.

FINAL WORD: This eatery premiered with a bang four years ago, and it hasn’t slowed since. The Salted Brick is already counted among the upper tier of eateries in the Greater Ocala Area and is well-positioned for when H.I.T.S. is in town and the Ocala Equestrian Center opens.

But is it worth the trip out here? Let’s just say I’m likely to return again and again and...

WANT TO KNOW MORE?

The Salted Brick in Trilogy at Ocala Preserve 4021 NW 53rd Avenue Road (352) 509-5183