Mystery, Mayhem and Martinis at Salud Wine Bar

If you’re looking to shake up your normal routine, eat fantastic food and have a night of pure fun, might I suggest a night of meatloaf and murder? Salud Wine Bar, located in Downtown Camas, hosts themed monthly murder mystery dinners, guaranteed to be one of the most entertaining nights you’ve had in a long time. I’ll circle back to the meatloaf, because that alone is more than enough reason to visit Salud.  

Owners Raechill and Tony Dotson opened Salud in 2017. It began as a simple wine bar, complete with wine storage. When the pandemic circled the world, they got creative by adding to-go meals made from old Italian family recipes. Thankfully, Salud survived the closures and became a community staple, emerging even bigger and better than before.

Two years ago this May, the wine bar and kitchen expanded to include an old-fashioned speakeasy in the back, complete with a phone booth and password needed to enter. “It’s still in its infancy stages,” says Tony Dotson, “But we really want people to know that it’s here and a great place to have a happy hour.” After a recent trip to Rome, the Dotsons are planning on incorporating even more elements to create an authentic Italian happy hour experience, including free appetizers when ordering drinks.

After a week of ice storms in January, I braved the elements to attend my first ever murder mystery party at Salud Wine. The theme? The Roaring Twenties—Murder at the Juice Joint, a perfect fit for the speakeasy. Weeks prior to the scheduled dinner, I received my character dossier and information: I would be attending the party as Private Investigator Pinkerton, a private eye full of integrity, determined to solve the crime of who murdered Louie Marie. Tony Dotson says that the best way to enjoy this party is to embrace the character: “Read about who you are, come in character as best you can, and just be ready to have fun with it.”

Getting into Character

I set out to do just that. I hit the thrift shops and raided some friends’ closets for a trench coat and tie, fedora hat and a fake cigar. A few minutes of research provided lingo from the era for a little extra flair. This would be my first acting gig since the ninth grade, but the Dotsons assure everyone who participates there’s no need to be nervous. It’s not necessary to memorize or overprepare, just be ready to have some fun. “Alcohol can be a little helpful as well,” Tony adds with a chuckle.

I will admit, I was a bundle of nerves. As the investigator, would I be in charge of solving things in front of people? What if I didn’t commit enough to the character or went over the top? I needn’t have worried, though. The moment I walked in, the 1920s themed music was playing and virtually everyone was in costume, ranging from simple to elaborate. There were flapper dresses, cigars, bowler hats and suspenders galore. People were friendly and embracing the theme.

The owners greeted me with an envelope and all the information needed to make the night a success. The environment makes it pretty easy to abandon inhibitions and jump into character, and the drink ticket didn’t hurt either.

I sat at a table with a mother-daughter pair who came as a flapper girl and a Hollywood actress, and we chatted about the evening and who we think could have possibly (fictitiously) murdered Louie. Inside my envelope were hints and directives specifically geared for PI Pinkerton with a list of objectives and possible suspects and witnesses to engage. The envelope also contained my meal and drink tickets alongside pretend money to use for the evening. (Bribery and blackmail are encouraged!) 

Mingling is one of the most important elements of the evening, so we were encouraged to get up from our tables, break away from the people we came with and to suspect everyone! I chatted with Kitty Cocktail, Southside Sal and Mugsy Malone, piecing together alibis and motives in my trusty notebook. Looking around, no one stayed seated at their table; everyone milled about, talking with people they’d only just met. “One of my favorite things about Salud,” says Raechill, “is how people walk in as strangers and leave as friends.”

A Whodunit Dinner at Salud Wine

After a first round of inquiries, mingling, charcuterie and cocktails, dinner was served! Prior to the event, guests had been given the menu and a choice between Italian classics such as fettuccini, spaghetti and of course, meatloaf, which was described on the menu as if “lasagna and meatloaf had a baby.” The meatloaf alone is enough to make a repeat customer out of me. In fact, I worry that I’m already hooked and won’t venture out to try anything new there again. After more twists and turns were revealed throughout the night, we were given another set of envelopes with more guidance and specific evidence to uncover.

Only one person in the crowd opened their envelope to reveal that they were, indeed, the killer. Speaking with the murderer after the event is over, they revealed that they were given some diversion tactics to throw the others off their scent, which I found were quite convincing.

By this time, most inhibitions were down and people were having a grand time, seeking out the evidence and either collecting money or using their money to uncover secrets. A multitude of storylines were revealed and leads pointed in various directions. I’d suspected eight people by the time the night was over. Then, Tony and Raechill served dessert as everyone made their final attempts to get to the bottom of the murders.

As the investigator, once I’d collected all the evidence, it was displayed for everyone to look at before making their final accusations. Not only does everyone get a chance to try and solve the case, but they get to vote on best-dressed, the person who stayed most in-character with the best acting chops, and everyone reveals how much fake money they ended the night with. As an investigator on the up and up, I was unable to accept any bribery and had very little cash left to my name.

I did, however, get the honor as the lead detective to reveal the solution, which I opened from an envelope much like a presenter at the Oscars. Sadly, I failed and did not correctly guess the murderer.

When I asked Tony about how many people on average guess correctly, he says it’s usually around two people, though they’ve had up to six, and there once was a two-month stretch where nobody was able to solve the case! That made me feel a little better, but I’m looking forward to trying again in the future for redemption. The winners did get to go home with a bottle of wine or a gift card to the restaurant, so next time I’m going to step up my game.

In addition to the Roaring Twenties, Salud will be hosting plenty of other upcoming murder mysteries to look forward to. The Murder at the Juice Joint might be one of the owners’ favorites, but they are also big fans of the 1980s-themed prom. “I’m an 80s kid,” says Tony. “I went to my own prom in the 80s so that one’s a lot of fun.” Other themes include a wedding reception gone wrong, Tragedy at the Trailer Park, Pirates, Halloween monsters, Bad Santa and March’s current theme of Murder in Sin City.

The murder mystery series has been a staple since Salud first opened—Raechill had previously organized these events for holiday parties in a former job and she knew she wanted to continue.

“We’ve learned some things since our first one,” says Tony, explaining that they held their first themed dinner party in the dining room and included around 50 people. “We’ve trimmed it back since that first one,” he says, finding that 20-30 people tends to be the magic number. Transitioning to the speakeasy has also made the evenings even more of a success. Of the people I spoke to at the party, most were here for the first time, although a few had been to prior parties and loved it so much they just had to return.

A Great Gift

“I bought a dress for this,” says Sandy Vandenberg, a participant who was gifted this experience by her daughter. “I haven’t worn a dress in forever!” she told me, citing how fun it was to come as the Hollywood actress Greta Garbled. Vandenberg’s daughter,

Danielle Cardoso, went on to say that she chose the event as a Christmas gift for her mother because experiences are more fun than material things, and she’s always loved Downtown Camas. “I’m so impressed by the set-up, the staff and everyone in character,” shares Cardoso. Groups that night were made up of mother-daughter pairings, brothers and sisters, and plenty of romantic couples looking for a night out and an opportunity to mix things up. Participants cited some initial nerves, but everyone said those dissipated quickly because the evening was so fun and low pressure. “I was so worried about having to improvise without a script,” says one participant. “But it turns out there was nothing to worry about.”

Vandenberg, who did a remarkable job of staying in character, exclaims, “I wasn’t nervous, just excited!” I have to concur. The Dotsons and the staff at Salud, including their phenomenal bartender, have curated something special. The evening is fun, fast-paced, full of delicious food and drinks, and structured with just enough guidance so you don’t have to worry too much about where to start.  Raechill adds, “There were some men there who had been dragged by their wives and didn’t think they would have a good time, but by the end of the night they’re telling me they had fun.” She adds, “They always do.”

The themes for the murder mysteries rotate monthly, with usually two events per month scheduled on the calendar. A ticket includes admission, dinner, one drink and access to an unforgettable night that the staff has worked tirelessly to prepare. These nights do sell out quickly, so you should act fast if you’re interested!

But if mingling with strangers isn’t quite your cup of tea, private murder mystery experiences are available for family gatherings or work parties as long as you have about 20 people. And if a night of murder isn’t on the table for you, the restaurant and speakeasy have plenty more to offer. Live music, karaoke or just an old-fashioned Italian-style happy hour are easy to enjoy in style. Just grab the password and a cocktail and know you are in the presence of quality people who care about making sure you have a good time. And did I mention you should absolutely try the meatloaf?

To view upcoming events or to try your hand at solving a murder mystery, visit Salud’s website at Saludwine.com.

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