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In a press release issued this afternoon, American Larder LLC, owner of Salt restaurant in the CWE, announced the closure of the two-year old restaurant. The last day of service was Saturday, June 29. The P-D's Ian Froeb was the first to sniff out and then confirm the news.
Salt's run was a crazy one. With any restaurant, there exist many behind the scenes anecdotes and stories, but the ones that poured out of Salt were as weird and mysterious as any.
Salt opened with great anticipation just over two years ago with chef and partner Wes Johnson (The Scottish Arms, Shaved Duck, Eclipse) at the helm (his Q&A with SLM is here). His star rose quickly: Johnson appeared on the TODAY show and was named to SLM's A-List "Dream Team" in July. In October, Salt earned a solid spot on SLM's "Best New Restaurants" list for 2011, as well as a Best New Restaurant nod from both Sauce and the RFT in 2011.
The following February Salt got nominated for a James Beard Award in the Best New Restaurant category, the first (and so far only) time a local restaurant has been so honored.
Then things got a bit dodgy.
In April, Johnson had not been seen at Salt for "weeks and weeks," according to one staffer, and there were even rumors that he was gone for good. That rumor was confirmed on May 1 when Johnson was removed from Salt's ownership group, as reported here by Evan Benn, then at the P-D. Yet, just weeks before, Johnson was still planning on representing the restaurant at SLM's annual Food Wine Design dining event-- even though he hadn't been there in weeks--while at the same time announcing a new venture, called Fixe (a restaurant that has yet to break ground). Chef Josh Roland, who ultimately took over for Johnson at Salt, ably represented the restaurant at the event on May 17.
And that was just a 30-day snapshot...
And now some CliffsNotes: Concurrent with Johnson's MIA status and his disengagement with Salt, a tax lien for nearly $50,000 was filed against the restaurant in May (with repayment terms arranged, according to the RFT). In August, Salt's landlord filed suit for over $50,000 in (disputed) back rent. In November, American Larder filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy, claiming debts of $100,000 to $500,000.
Then, in what was even a surprise to this heard-it-all scribe, Salt elected to remain in business, even after Chef Roland decided to call it quits as well. Armando Sicileo-Roman, one of the partners of American Larder, couldn't have been more positive when he spoke with Relish in December, commenting that Roland "has left him with a successful restaurant, one that 'continues to experience record days,' adding that the issues with bankruptcy 'have not impacted Salt's business level one bit,'' and that he remained bullish about the coming year.
Well, it's now July of that year, and the little restaurant that could apparently no longer can. Today's press release stated that it was "the economic downturn, litigation with its landlord and pending litigation with a former partner, and tax liability" that led to its decision.
This afternoon, Siliceo-Roman told Relish that the decision to close was made "not for lack of business or because our product had changed in any way," but simply for the reasons stated above.
And for what it's worth, SLM remained bullish on Salt, too, in its July issue naming server Cassie Williams to the A-List "Dream Team" for this year. Reacting to the closure, Williams expressed both "sorrow and gratitude," and has taken a few weeks off before seeking new employment. No worries. She'll get hired in two shakes.
