Turning Stone Raises the Bar With Salt and The Crescent

There's something pretty significant happening at Turning Stone Resort Casino right now, and I'm not just talking about the $400 million expansion.

I'm talking about the food.

My wife Alison and I have now eaten twice at Salt, the new signature restaurant on the seventh floor of The Crescent at Turning Stone. We went with friends both times, and on one of those nights I dined with Joel Barkin, Vice President of Strategic Communications and Community Engagement at Turning Stone.

Joel had a mission.

He wanted to make sure we sampled as much of the menu as possible.

We did our best to accommodate him.

After two dinners and a pretty serious trip through the menu, I can sum up Salt in two words.

Amazingly beautiful.

The restaurant is beautiful. The views are beautiful. The presentation is beautiful. Most importantly, the food we experienced was world class.

Salt is part of the new 258 room Crescent hotel, which opened this summer as part of the massive Turning Stone Evolution. The restaurant takes up the entire seventh floor, with panoramic views, private dining rooms and two large outdoor terraces. Turning Stone calls the concept "Land & Sea," which is actually a much better description than calling Salt a seafood restaurant.

Because seafood is only part of this story.

We Tried to Sample Just About Everything

We started with the Regiis Ova Caviar Service.

It's caviar, so obviously it's going to be a hit on the pocketbook. You know that going in.

But this is also an experience that's not easy to find in Upstate New York, and it was worth trying.

The service comes with traditional garnishes, toast points and potato chips. Salt also offers caviar tacos with egg yolk jam, chives, lemon crème fraîche and gold leaf.

Then came the Tuna Tartare Cones.

Caviar Tacos at Salt, Photo credit TSRC

Ahi tuna, ponzu and avocado are served in little sesame cones. They look great when they arrive at the table, but this isn't one of those dishes where the presentation is better than the food.

They're delicious.

We also sampled both East and West Coast oysters.

And we haven't even gotten to what could become one of the most interesting parts of Salt.

I'm told a Boston style raw bar will play a major role in some of the restaurant's future theme nights. We haven't experienced that yet, but Salt is clearly serious about the raw bar. The regular menu already includes oysters, jumbo prawns, yellowtail crudo, tuna tartare, caviar and a Tides Tower loaded with oysters, shrimp, Maine lobster, tuna tartare and crab salad.

We'll be back for that.

The Crab Cake at the new SALT restaurant at the Crescent Hotel at the Turning Stone Resort and Casino. credit: TSRC

Then Came the Crab Cake

I love a good crab cake, but too often you order one and spend half the time trying to find the crab.

Not here.

Salt's Chesapeake Bay Crab Cake was crab meat forward and absolutely delicious.

We also tried the Upstate Clam Chowder.

Then we moved on to the entrées, and this is where I think people are going to be surprised by Salt.

Yes, there is wonderful seafood.

But don't make the mistake of thinking that's all this restaurant is about.

The Wáhta' Maple Miso Black Cod was terrific and offered a nice Upstate and Oneida connection to the menu.

What Maple Miso Cod at Salt, Photo credit TSRC

Then there was the Green Circle Half Chicken.

I know.

Chicken?

At a restaurant like this?

Trust me.

It was juicy, tender and seasoned to perfection. I'd order it again without hesitation.

And then there was the American Wagyu Striploin.

Wow.

Melt in your mouth tender and spectacular.

We also tried the Parisian Gnocchi, another dish that showed just how broad this menu really is.

That's what stood out to Alison and me after two visits. You could have four people sitting at the same table, one wants oysters and raw seafood, another wants steak, somebody wants chicken and another wants pasta.

Everybody wins.

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The current Salt menu really does cover that kind of territory, with separate sections devoted to chilled seafood, starters, soups and salads, pasta, Salt specialties, grilled selections, sides and desserts.

" data-title="attachment-the-crescent-chocolate-layer-cake"/>The Crescent Chocolate Layer Cake at SALT. Photo courtesy and with permission. of TSRC>

Speaking of dessert.

Don't skip it.

We loved The Crescent Chocolate Layer Cake.

Then we tried the Dubai Chocolate Churros.

Loved those too.

At that point, I'm pretty sure we had fulfilled Joel's request to sample as much of the menu as humanly possible.

The Service Makes a Difference

Food is only part of the equation when you're paying for a high end dining experience.

Service can make or break the night.

Our service was excellent.

There was another feeling Alison and I both had while sitting there. Between the room, the service, the presentation and the view, it didn't really feel like we were having dinner a short drive from home.

It felt like we were away.

You get that feeling you have when you're on vacation and somebody has recommended a great restaurant that you've been looking forward to all day.

Except you're in Verona.

That's not easy to pull off.

Salt Joins Some Pretty Good Company

Turning Stone didn't need Salt to establish itself as a serious culinary destination.

We've loved Wildflowers for years.

It remains one of our favorites on the property because it's a completely different experience. Wildflowers has that cozy, intimate feel, and I've had dishes there that just burst with flavor.

It's the kind of cooking and presentation that reminds me of meals we've had at some very high end restaurants.

And there are real credentials behind it.

Wildflowers is a Forbes Travel Guide Four Star restaurant and is also AAA Four Diamond rated. It again earned Forbes Four Star honors for 2026.

TS Steakhouse is another favorite.

The steaks are incredible, the seafood is excellent, the service is high end and then you have those views from the penthouse floor of The Tower.

TS Steakhouse also earned another Forbes Four Star award for 2026.

So Salt isn't coming in to fix Turning Stone's dining scene.

There was nothing to fix.

It's adding another completely different experience to a property that already had two of our favorite special occasion restaurants in the region.

The Tides Tower at SALT inside the Crescent Hotel at the Turning Stone Resort and Casino. photo credit: TSRC

Here's the Question I Have About Salt

Is this going to be a restaurant people save exclusively for birthdays, anniversaries and special occasions?

Or will Salt become the kind of destination restaurant people regularly drive an hour or two to experience?

There's a difference.

People will travel for food they can't get at home.

They'll drive to Manhattan, Boston or Montreal for a restaurant they've heard about. They'll build a weekend around a reservation.

I wonder if Salt can become that kind of restaurant for Upstate New York.

Based on our first two visits, I think it has a chance.

The caviar service alone is something you're not going to find on many menus in our part of the state. Then add the raw bar, the oysters, black cod, Wagyu, chicken, handmade pasta and the setting.

It's different.

And different is what makes people travel.

Next Time, We're Eating Outside

There's still one major part of Salt that Alison and I haven't experienced.

The terrace.

Salt has two expansive outdoor terraces overlooking the property, and that's where we're hoping to eat on our next visit. The seventh floor location provides sweeping views of the surrounding area, and Turning Stone designed the terraces for three season outdoor dining.

If the weather cooperates, that's our next reservation.

And yes, there will definitely be a next reservation.

We'll be back as often as we can.

Then Came Some Pretty Big News From AAA

As impressive as the food story is, there's a much larger hospitality story developing at Turning Stone.

On Monday, August 17, Turning Stone announced that The Crescent, The Lodge and The Tower have earned AAA Four Diamond designations.

The timing for The Crescent is particularly impressive because the new hotel has only been open for a matter of weeks.

The Crescent features 258 guest rooms and suites and connects guests with Turning Stone's restaurants, gaming, entertainment and other amenities. Salt is the centerpiece dining experience on the seventh floor. The hotel also includes The Pantry, a grab and go café, Oneida Sky, Rome Health Convenient Care at Turning Stone and Crescent Park.

"From the very first day of opening its doors, The Crescent has demonstrated Turning Stone's commitment to world class hospitality and luxury, joining the exceptional standard of service our guests have experienced at The Lodge and The Tower," Oneida Indian Nation Representative and Turning Stone Enterprises CEO Ray Halbritter said in announcing the AAA recognition.

He credited the resort's employees for helping Turning Stone build its reputation as one of the Northeast's leading resort destinations.

The AAA recognition also comes during an extraordinary run of awards for the property.

Turning Stone's 2026 Forbes Travel Guide Four Star recipients include The Lodge, Skʌʌ́: Spa, Wildflowers and TS Steakhouse.

And Turning Stone Isn't Finished

This is where the story gets even bigger.

The Grand Expo is scheduled to arrive around Labor Day as the next major piece of the Turning Stone Evolution.

When that happens, Turning Stone says the resort will have 225,000 square feet of total event space, making it New York's largest meetings and conventions resort.

That's a big deal for the Mohawk Valley.

Think about the number of people who could be coming into this region for conventions, corporate meetings, conferences, trade shows and special events.

Not just from Albany or Buffalo.

From around the country.

Potentially from around the world.

Those visitors need hotel rooms.

They go shopping.

They spend money.

And, of course, they have to eat.

Turning Stone's $400 million Evolution has positioned the resort to go after that business on a much larger scale. The Crescent and Salt were the first major pieces to arrive this summer. The Grand Expo is next.

Which brings me back to the food.

Dinner Reservations Might Become a Competitive Sport

Turning Stone already has an impressive restaurant lineup.

Now add Salt.

Then add a massive influx of convention and meeting guests.

What's going to happen when a large national convention is at Turning Stone and hundreds or even thousands of people finish their day at roughly the same time and start looking for dinner?

Good luck getting that 7 p.m. reservation.

I'm only half kidding.

I suspect prime reservations at Salt, Wildflowers and TS Steakhouse could become a competitive sport when The Grand Expo is busy.

That's probably a pretty good problem for a resort to have.

It's also potentially good news for restaurants throughout the surrounding region if the convention expansion delivers the number of visitors Turning Stone is preparing to accommodate.

Green Circle Chicken at SALT inside the Crescent Hotel at Turning Stone Resort and Casino. credit: TSRC

Turning Stone Is Becoming Something Different

That's really the bigger story here.

For people who haven't visited in a while, calling Turning Stone simply a casino doesn't accurately describe the place anymore.

There's gaming, obviously.

But there's also nationally recognized golf, spas, entertainment, luxury hotels, nightlife, convention business and a restaurant operation that keeps getting more ambitious.

The $400 million Turning Stone Evolution takes that transformation another step.

The Crescent is open.

Salt is open.

The Grand Expo is almost here.

And the awards are already coming in.

Turning Stone has said the goal is to compete at the highest levels of hospitality. Salt was developed with Elizabeth Blau, the restaurant developer and strategist who has worked on major dining destinations in Las Vegas and around the world.

That's an ambitious goal for a resort in Verona, New York.

After two dinners at Salt with Alison and our friends, I can tell you this.

It doesn't feel unrealistic.

The caviar was an experience. The Tuna Tartare Cones were delicious. The oysters were fresh. The crab cake was loaded with crab. The black cod was terrific. The chicken was tender and perfectly seasoned.

And that Wagyu?

I'd go back for that alone.

Then there's the setting.

Sitting on the seventh floor of The Crescent, looking out over the property with great food, excellent service and friends at the table, you really can forget for a couple of hours that you're still in Central New York.

Maybe that's the best compliment I can give Salt.

For years, we've traveled to experience restaurants like this.

Now we have one in our backyard.

And we're already planning our next visit.