When you tell your parents at just seven years old there are only two things you want to do in life – get some tattoos and cook for a living – and then do it, you really have a vision for your life. That’s just what local Chef Josh Balague did. Now the Chef at the Copper & Salt Northwest Kitchen at the Silver Cloud Hotel in Ruston, Balague creates a menu with Northwest Italian Cuisine.
Opened in the fall of 2021, the Copper and Salt Northwest Kitchen is an open concept with spectacular panoramic views of the Puget Sound. “We often comment that our line cooks have the best views in the city from our open kitchen,” laughed Balague. It certainly is a selling point when looking for the best talent to fill spots on his team.
Trained at L.A.’s Le Cordon Bleu Culinary School, Balague approaches his role at Copper & Salt as a teacher helping others become chefs themselves. “I hope to grow my program so I that I can equip many quality chefs,” he said recently. Offering the opportunity to help in the creation of the menu and selecting ingredients, Balague is opening doors for many of his colleagues.
The menu at Copper & Salt is simple and delicious and beautifully presented. When you visit, you’ll want to try the bolognese — braised ground beef over delicious pasta. Or enjoy delicious meatballs made from three tender meats, parmesan, and parsley served with savory red sauce and parmesan-crusted crostini.
Located on the Point Ruston waterfront, the name Copper & Salt comes directly from their location — copper to salute the former smelter and salt to recognize their adjacency to the salty waters of the Puget Sound. The theme is carried throughout the 150-seat restaurant from the copper serving ware and jars filled with various salts in the entrance, to the lovely hanging copper beadwork that separates areas of the restaurant. It is a lovely location to dine and enjoy a chic dining room right on the water.
The Silver Cloud brand is rooted in the Pacific Northwest, with nine hotels across Washington and Oregon. For a special occasion or just a dinner you will not soon forget, visit the Silver Cloud Hotel at Ruston Way.
Copper & Salt
silvercloud.com/pointruston
BY Lynn Castle