3 minute read
CHEF SPOTLIGHT: ERIC JOHNSON
PHOTO BY DAVE YASUDA
Saltbrush
By Dave Yasuda
There’s a beautiful symmetry to Chef Eric Johnson’s culinary journey. He moved to Boise at the age of ten. He grew up here and attended the Culinary Arts program at BSU. He moved to the Bay Area in the late 2000s and spent 13 years working in top kitchens in San Francisco and Sonoma County. Now he’s back in Boise as an owner and the executive chef of Saltbrush, located near Boise’s historic Basque Block.
Opening a restaurant in Boise presents challenges. From finding the right culinary team to sourcing quality local ingredients, Boise is different from the well-established restaurant culture and climate of Northern California.
The Bay Area draws from a pool of experienced culinary workers. Boise’s employment market offers fewer options. Chef Johnson took an open-minded approach to hiring. “The cooks we hire don’t have to have perfect resumes. I look for people who are passionate about cooking and food,” he said. “We want each person to grow and become a strong cook.”
Sonoma County restaurants feature a farm-to-table approach. The region has many specialty farmers and a long growing season to supply ingredients year-round. Sourcing locally throughout the year in Boise requires creativity. “Adapting to the sources here is a big change. We plan to do pickling and fermenting to use after the growing season,” said Chef Johnson. “I’m featuring local growers now, but the winter will bring heartier food featuring more meat, potatoes, and a lot of local root vegetables.”
Boise’s fine dining scene has boomed in recent years.
Saltbrush looks the part of a fine dining restaurant with its upscale interior, excellent wine list, and craft cocktails. Even so, Chef Johnson shies away from the description of “fine dining”.
“We try not to throw the term around here. We want to be inclusive,” he said. “Our menu is very intentional and has variety. We want to have a good vibe where anyone can enjoy our food and have fun.”
Distinguishing Saltbrush from other restaurants starts with its menu. “When we were dreaming up the menu for the restaurant, we wondered how my style would be accepted,” said Chef Johnson. “What we’re doing is a little bit different, but we’ve got our lane that’s unique.”
What is Chef Johnson’s culinary lane? “The base of my approach is very ingredient driven. My cooking style is to start with an amazing ingredient and see what technique I can use,” he said. “I like complexity with balance. I use fermentation to bring in flavors that tend to be high acid and use less salt.”
This style shines through in the menu, with many items made in-house such as the homemade sourdough boule, handcrafted charcuterie, and fermented ingredients like the citrus kosho for the sashimi plate.
Chef Johnson invites diners to take a drive in his lane. “Come in with an open mind, willing to taste some new flavors and have fun,” he said. "There’s a lot of thought behind our food, and it inspires good conversation and good times.”
