A Shop Worth its Salt
Dour city officials may have declared sodium a public enemy last year, but that didn’t stop Portland, Oregon–based salt shop the Meadow (523 Hudson St between Charles and W 10th Sts, 212-645-4633) from opening an outpost here in the fall. Thirty-plus countries are represented in the store’s collection of more than 100 salts, each painstakingly sourced by owner Mark Bitterman. Perennial chef favorites like delicate fleur de sel, flaky Maldon and quartz-like slabs of Himalayan pink are well represented. But the real treat is chatting with the shopkeepers and tasting their colorful, far-flung finds, contained in glass canisters lining the shelves. A new arrival, the Alaska Pure (bright, sweet flakes with a mineral crunch) works with everything from moist fish to winter green salads, and the magenta-pink Maboroshi Plum Salt, made from the vinegar of salt-preserved plums, has an acidity that plays well with sautéed vegetables, pork and poached eggs. Bitterman calls these crystalline beauties “elemental pleasures,” and the same can be said of the rest of his offerings: Flowers—including amaryllis and tulips—fill the space, ready for an impromptu arrangement; bitters, like local upstarts Bittermens and Regan’s, are arranged on hemlock tables; and an entire wall of chocolates emphasizes rare and single-origin varieties. We favor Byrne & Carlson’s stunning, limited-production bars decorated with crystallized violets, and the Sahagun Sun Drops—dark-chocolate balls oozing sunflower-seed butter and raw blackberry honey. We can’t help but think that a handful of these, and an upgrade from Morton table salt, might be just what some curmudgeonly legislators need.
I swear the texture and consistency of this salt has changed since I first received as a gift several years ago. While still excellent in flavor, it is "chunkier" and moister now which takes away from its ease of sprinkling.
They have everything you could ever want as long as it’s salt or chocolate or helpful customer service. My experience here was delightful and I left with two gifts I know my loved ones will enjoy. I will be back.
I visited your store from Seattle about a year ago. I have since ordered gifts and salts and other products for me. This salt is my fav especially on popcorn and avocado salt.
A delightful bundle to give a friend as a token of appreciation. You can select different chocolates or go all in on one!
A friend shared one of the most beautiful items on earth, The Meadow's Black Truffle Sea Salt, with me last year and I now I can't live without it! It's forever a kitchen staple and one of my most treasured joys. 11/10 Recommend!