Salt Celebrates Fifteen Years of Local, Sustainable Eats in Boulder

Before Salt debuted at 1047 Pearl Street in Boulder in 2009, the space had been home to Tom's Tavern, an iconic Boulder burger joint and bar that occupied that corner for fifty years.

While Salt has a ways to go before hitting that milestone, it has proven to be a restaurant with staying power. It's now celebrating its crystal anniversary — fifteen years — all month long, culminating with an August 31 celebration. That day, it will offer a variety of specials, including a crystal-clear espresso martini and a crystal-clear pumpkin pie based on the version Grant Achatz made at Alinea.

Other highlights include a streetside paella cookout, a Manchego-infused mezcal and peach margarita, a complimentary champagne toast and executive chef Charles Rivera's mole. Reservations can be made via Tock.

Rivera is one of several newer team members who are giving the spot fresh energy as it looks toward the future, says general manager Jordan McMahan. "We're a younger team trying to prove ourselves," he notes. "Financially, we're having the best year we've ever had, and we have a very bright future ahead of us. ... It's an older establishment that's become new again in its own right."

When owner Bradford Heap debuted Salt, his goal was to offer "fun, affordable, simple, seasonal food and supporting those that do right by Mother Nature," he told Westword at the time. "Just call me Johnny Local."
Today, Salt is largely Heap's way of "supporting regenerative beef," McMahan says. "So making sure we're using cattle that is farmed in a sustainable manner. [Heap] is really passionate about that, and he uses Salt to show that off."

But the restaurant has evolved over the years, too. Rivera, who started earlier this year, has brought a new focus on Mexican fare, while bar manager Sam Wood, who joined the team in March, has upped the cocktail game. "They're both super, super talented," says McMahan.

He recommends stopping by for a sip of the Three Course, a cocktail created by Wood composed of gin, lemon, Earl Grey syrup, umami bitters, rosemary, salt, lactose-free milk clarification, smoked arbol chile oil and fig liqueur. "I tried it and I was like, 'Oh, my God,'" McMahan recalls.

For Heap, this fifteen-year celebration is special. "This is his baby." McMahan notes. "He's had five other restaurants, and this is his flagship, and it's still going. ... He's had a ton of hurdles at Salt, but to be able to sustain through COVID and be such a flagship in Boulder, it means a ton to him that the community supported him through that."

Look for other specials ahead of the August 31 celebration as well, including dishes from former executive chefs.

This milestone "is a celebration for all of us, whether we've been there for six months or twelve years," McMahan concludes. "It's gonna be a hell of a month."