Taste Maker: Sandeep Salter
The Brooklyn Heights shopkeeper/designer/gallerist shares a peek into her stylish world on the corner of Henry Street.
**Welcome back to On the House. Today’s edition is the first in a new series called “Taste Maker”— a micro questionnaire featuring a New Yorker whose eye we admire and whose taste we want to learn from — in 10 questions or less. We hope you enjoy it. And, if there’s anyone special you think we should feature here, let us know in the comments.
Although a lot of people like to say Brooklyn Heights has quietly become the new West Village, those of us who have lived here for a while know that’s not exactly true. Sandeep Salter is one of this leafy maritime neighborhood’s longtime residents. So, it made sense that she would conceive an iconic spot on the corner of Atlantic Avenue and Henry Street back in 2018 that would come to define the city’s cafe-meets-cottagecore culture as we know it today.
More than just a stop for an Americano, Salter House’s spare, almost rustic interior features a cross-section of stylish objects and essentials that have become a must-stop for visitors strolling the neighborhood. Quilts, candles, handmade children’s toys, and organza daywear in a tiny back room form the quintessential general store-meets-atelier Salter House vibe (which has since expanded to a cafe/shop on East Second Street, too). Next door to the main shop, Salter also runs/curates an art gallery called Picture Room, where she sells work by Joana Avillez and Vita Yang. It’s another venue to experience her impeccable eye for precision and beauty.
As the city starts winding down for the summer season, traffic at Salter House speeds up w/even more people dropping in for a banana muffin and some summer pajamas. We asked Salter to be our first Taste Maker here — read on, and you’ll know why.
Tell us your favorite food memory: “Oh, so many! Eating my grandmother’s cooking; sitting on the floor with my family in Leeds; pasta in Florence in the rain with my husband and daughters; lobster at our friend’s studio in Martha’s Vineyard.”
How about your go-to dinner party essential: “Organic wine — anything chilled, light, and under $30. I'm not fussy.”
Ruth Lewandowski Feints 2024, La Collina Lambrusco Dell’Emilia, Christina St. Laurent 2022
Your must-have kitchen tool: “Nesting bowls that are good for everything.”
A New York City restaurant with the best interiors: “Cafe Sabarsky.”
One dish you’ll always order if it’s on the menu: “Gluten-free pasta bolognese. But Noodle Pudding in Brooklyn Heights [further down on Henry Street] makes it the best.”
The most New York spot you’ve ever been to: “Stage restaurant — it was a proper New York counter diner, and it was perfect. I lived around the corner for the first decade of living in NYC, and I miss it.”
How do you define taste? “One’s preferences, expressed through aesthetic choices.”
Sandeep’s TASTE 😍
What’s something you genuinely think is perfect? “Mountain Laurel.”
Tell us about something you loved before everyone else? “Nightgowns and bloomers.”
Lamb Nightdress and Striped Mini Bloomer Shorts, both by Salter House.
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A big thank you to Emily Sundberg of Feed Me for the lovely shout-out last week on the launch of On the House! ⬇️ More good things to come…
