Thiago Silva remembers witnessing the chaos in the kitchen of his step dad’s restaurant as a child. The fires and yelling of the cooks did not scare him, but instead fostered his dream of working in the food industry.
Though Silva has worked at a variety of restaurants in New York City and Newton, and even won Food Network’s culinary competition show Chopped in 2015, Silva’s childhood dream came into full fruition when his Newton Centre bakery, Salt Patisserie, hosted its soft opening on July 9.
Though some customers may be intrigued, or potentially a little confused, by Silva’s decision to incorporate the word “salt” into the name of his bakery, Silva said that, for him, salt represents the perfect combination of flavors.
“My art is a connection to sweet and savory,” he said. “Salt is the one ingredient in every single recipe. It’s on everything. … So it’s one of these things that it’s a simple ingredient, it’s common, everyone knows, [and] it’s on everything.”
With its burnt orange awning and sleek interior, Salt Patisserie stands out among the plethora of bakeries and coffee shops in Newton Centre. Salt Patisserie combines classic French and Italian techniques with Brazilian flavors, creating a unique fusion of food traditions.
“I’m Brazilian—100 percent love the food, the culture of Brazil, but I also love mixing flavors from Brazil with techniques from France and Italy and doing all those things,” Silva said. “And there’s things from Brazil, but there’s also things from different parts of the world.”
Salt Patisserie serves classic bakery items such as eclairs, tarts, cookies, and muffins, as well as croissants, sandwiches, and macarons. For customers who enjoy sipping on a coffee or specialty drink with their meal, the bakery’s coffee bar provides a wide range of options from mochas and americanos to draft lattes and cold brew.
Although Salt Patisserie mainly serves baked goods, Silva said he hopes to expand to serve a full lunch menu, including a variety of sandwiches, salads, and soups.
For lox lovers, Salt Patisserie’s homemade lox croissant is the perfect savory brunch or lunch staple. The crispy-on-the-outside, soft-on-the-inside croissant topped with a salty, umami seasoning contrasts the tender lox and herby cream cheese spread, creating an explosion of textures and flavors in each bite.
Crunchy, peppery arugula and thinly chopped red onions elevate the dish by adding a layer of freshness that isn’t too overpowering. The lox croissant sandwich at Salt Patisserie is made with attention to detail that sets it apart from other similar dishes at area breakfast spots.
Colorful bonbons, macarons, and eclairs nestled in the glass display cases look almost too beautiful to eat.
Topped with small flakes of edible gold, the ferrero rocher eclair is a twist on the classic chocolate eclair that serves perfectly for nutella lovers. A flakey pastry shell envelopes smooth, decadent, chocolate-hazelnut cream that oozes out with each bite. Chipped hazelnut chunks add another layer of texture to the dessert, and undertones of citrus prove that Silva is a master of balancing delicate flavors.
Silva said he hopes to open additional restaurants and bring more of his flavors to the Newton community that he has fallen in love with.
“I live here, I’m the owner of the shop, I’m here during the morning, and I’m here to talk to clients,” he said. “We’re making everything in house. We’re not bringing anything. Everything’s made daily, fresh, [with the] best ingredients available that I can source.”
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