Salt Bae, the internet's most dramatic chef, has closed his NYC steakhouse after just two years of serving gold-encrusted steaks. Let's find out what's behind the controversial cook's closure.
The Internet's Saltiest Chef Just Got A Little Less Salty in NYC
If you're a fan of overly theatrical meat seasoning and dubious Instagram fame, you've no doubt heard of celebrity chef Salt Bae - a.k.a. Nusret Gökçe, the Turkish chef and butcher who rose to online stardom by (weirdly) salting steaks sensually in front of the camera and posting it on the socials. Whether you like the guy or think he's just a gimmick peddler, the man knows how to stir up a frenzy.
Salt Bae, You Say?
For those unfamiliar, allow me to bae-guile you with this story of this artfully salty cook. His signature move of (weirdly) seductively raining seasonings over an expensive slab of meat has earned him over 49 million Instagram followers and celebrity clientele like Drake, Rihanna, and David Beckham...and we don't get it. He. Is. Sprinkling. Salt! How is this a skill? Will the next YouTube superstar be a bartender pouring a shot? The chef runs a successful steakhouse chain called Nusr-Et, where gold-encrusted tomahawk steaks can set you back a thousand dollars so when your jaw hits the ground after seeing the check and you ask, "What was it cooked in, freaking gold?" the waiter can roll his eyes and say "Why yes sir, it says so right on the menu."
Salty Controversy
Salt Bae's flair for the dramatic doesn't stop at sprinkling. The chef has sparked feuds and controversies galore. In 2019, he faced backlash for allegedly pocketing employee tips. The next year, he ticked off Bostonians by blocking fire exits with selfie lines at his swiftly shuttered
spot. Just recently, he bemused the internet by emotionally reuniting with his modestly living mother in Turkey, prompting critics to wonder why he doesn't support her lavishly. We'll give him the last one - our yiayia wouldn't leave her humble little village shack in Greece if you put a gun to her head. When she tried, she said "But how I bring my chickens? No chickens? No moving!" We can feel that.
Doors Closing at Neus-Et
But love him or shun him, you can't deny Gökçe's skills at sizzling up publicity. And the dramatic butcher's latest act? Closing down his Nusr-Et Steakhouse in NYC's trendy Meatpacking District after just two years. It's not necessarily the press anyone wants. The recently shuttered downtown location was Salt Bae's second Manhattan outpost, leaving him the one flagship steakhouse in Midtown. According to his reps, the closure is part of "a company shift to international markets" like Italy and Mexico. So, while New Yorkers may have one less opportunity to snag a gold-flaked hunk of beef in the city, they can still get their fix of Gökçe's particular brand of saltiness uptown. The other location opened back in 2018 and, despite its outlandish pricing, has earned some reluctant praise from critics for its entertainment value.
At the end of the day, whether you think Salt Bae is an innovator or a glorified performance artist, his flair for viral marketing is indisputable. In today's world, where people are making millions by being social stars, that's sadly more valuable to many than what skilled, hardworking chefs give us: their blood, sweat, and tears in the back of the house every day.
