Nestled inside the newly branded and designed Radisson hotel in Southfield, Salt + Ko will open its doors for dining service beginning Wednesday. The gastropub will offer American classics, utilizing fresh, locally-sourced ingredients with a creative twist.
The modern American resto-lounge infuses a vibrant atmosphere, serving up scratch-made cuisine. The carefully crafted menu by Chef Ryan Eli Salter features a variety of expertly prepared dishes, including notable Halal options. Their mixologists offer a unique selection of signature craft cocktails and alternative alcoholic beverages.
Salt + Ko will be a destination restaurant for travelers from all over the world staying at the upscale, four-star hotel on the outskirts of Detroit. Customers will be introduced to a very diverse menu of American staples cooked with Salter’s unique inflections.
“Detroit has a very definitive flavor and taste buds, like people know what they’re looking for there,” he explained to What Now Detroit. “But Southfield is kind of in its nascent stages and I’m hoping that I can kind of influence that with my own culinary aptitude.”
In 2018, Chef Ryan embarked on a new endeavor, founding Salt + Ko, a boutique full-service catering company that has since blossomed into a sophisticated gastropub.
The list of clients for which his company’s catered corporate events include premiere brands like Louie Vuitton, Ferrari, and the Hotel Saint Regis, a boutique resort in central Detroit’s New Center neighborhood.
Chef Ryan is also a co-founder of Breadless, an counter-serve outfit known for its sandwiches wrapped in leafy greens, bowls, and refreshing salads.
A New York City native born and bred in the uptown borough of Harlem, Salter studied abroad in Japan and Australia and also infuses some of his family’s Midwestern roots into his dishes.
His partnership with the Radisson developed from his relationships at Hotel Saint Regis. Salter’s name and reputation rang out in the hospitality industry when the Radisson began looking for a new caterer. He was highly recommended and met with senior executives earlier this year to begin developing a catering program at the Southfield hotel. By May, those discussions had evolved to an ownership agreement.
Salter said he’s taken over the atrium events and conference center, a 12,000 venue that’s being rebranded under his tutelage. Salt + Ko will also be the Radisson’s full-time caterer for events outside the new restaurant space.
“I think it comes down to taking advantage of the opportunity and succeeding,” Salter said. “This is the opportunity, the opening is the impact and what are we going to do with it. That’s the message I’ve been getting across to the team, and they’re embracing it. But we’re excited. You feel something in the air, which is quite unique. I haven’t felt this way before.”
Some menu items include:
● Drunken Pig Sandwich – Red wine bbq sauce, slow roasted pulled pork, wine poached pears, bacon jam, arugula on a pretzel bun
● Lamb Sliders with Truffle Fries
● Ginger + Thyme Salmon with Broccolini and Lavender Rice Pilaf
● Sunstone Social Tonic- Signature Draft Mocktail infused with Lime Shrub, Orange Flower Water, Orange Juice, Agave Nectar with a Mezcal floater for those who want an extra kick
Salt + Ko is located at 26555 Telegraph Rd, Southfield, MI 48033 [Lower level Radisson Hotel] and will be open Sunday to Tuesday – 10:30am to 10:00pm, Wednesday to Thursday – 10:30 am to 11:00pm and Friday-Saturday – 10:30am to 12:00am.
