Henry Laporte
Henry Laporte | |
|---|---|
| Born | Petaluma, California |
| Culinary career | |
Current restaurant | |
| Salt Hank's | |
Awards | |
| Esquire 20 Best Cookbooks of 2024 | |
Henry Laporte, who professionally goes by Salt Hank, is an American chef and influencer. He is known for his social media presence, of which he has nearly 5 million followers. He is also known for his cookbook, Salt Hank: A Five Napkin Situation, which was ranked in Esquire's best cookbooks of 2024, and his eponymous restaurant Salt Hank's, based in New York City.
Biography
[edit]Laporte was born and raised in Petaluma, California to father Leo Laporte.[1] He developed an interest in food in his youth. He studied broadcast journalism at the University of Colorado Boulder. At first, he focused on trying to apply to traditional PA positions at organizations like Tastemade, but he then decided to start creating content himself.[2]
On social media, he is best known for his sandwiches,[3] both in short-form content on Instagram and TikTok and in his longer-format YouTube series Side of Salt.[2] He has also partnered with Spotify to promote Spotify Wrapped.[4] As of 2026, he had nearly 5 million followers across social media platforms.[5]
Laporte wrote his first cookbook, Salt Hank: A Five Napkin Situation, in 2024.[6] It was blurbed by Gordon Ramsay.[7] It was ranked in Esquire's 20 Best Cookbooks of 2024,[8] and was also ranked positively by other critics including CookingWorld[9] and CoolFoodDude.[10] That same year, he appeared at the Food and Wine Festival in South Beach.[11]
He appeared on The Drew Barrymore Show in 2025.[12] He was named a Creator to Watch by TikTok in 2026,[13] and that same year was named to the Food Network Hot List.[14]
Salt Hank's
[edit]Laporte opened his first restaurant, Salt Hank's, on Bleecker Street in New York[15] in 2025.[5] He has detailed the rapid pace between deciding to open it and the actual opening.[16] The restaurant sells only one entree, French dip sandwiches,[17] as well as sides,[5] and is also known for its long line.[15] The French Dip has been rated positively by journals including Food & Wine,[18] The Infatuation, The New York Times,[19] and USA Today.[20]
In August 2026, Salt Hank's was acquired by billionaire Marc Lore's ghost kitchen startup Wonder, which also owns Blue Apron and Grubhub.[21][22]
References
[edit]- ↑ "Like Father, Like Son". leo.fm. 2022-02-07. Retrieved 2026-06-27.
- 1 2 White, Caitlin (September 12, 2023). "LA's Favorite TikTok Sandwich Guy Shares His 5 Best Recipes". InsideHook. Retrieved 2026-06-27.
- ↑ "SALTY RETURNS | HENRY LAPORTE/SALT HANK'S". Athleisure Mag™ | Athleisure Culture. 2026-04-26. Retrieved 2026-06-27.
- ↑ Maas, Jennifer (2024-04-23). "UTA's Digital Brand Architects Signs 12 Culinary TikTok Stars, Including Jordan Farnum and the Grill Dads (EXCLUSIVE)". Variety. Retrieved 2026-06-27.
- 1 2 3 Becker, Zoe (2026-01-20). "People Still Wait Hours for This $32 French Dip From an Influencer". Eater NY. Retrieved 2026-06-27.
- ↑ "TikTok creator Henry Laporte launches new cookbook". KTLA Los Angeles. 2024-10-03. Retrieved 2026-06-27.
- ↑ Salt Hank. Simon & Schuster. 2024-10-01. ISBN 978-1-6680-2548-2.
- ↑ "The Best Cookbooks of 2024". Esquire. 2024-12-18. Retrieved 2026-06-27.
- ↑ "Salt Hank Cookbook Review". The Cooking World. Retrieved 2026-06-27.
- ↑ "Lamb Burger | Salt Hank: A Five Napkin Situation". Cool Food Dude. 2024-10-05. Retrieved 2026-06-27.
- ↑ Ogle, Connie. "'Times are changing': South Beach food festival embraces the stars of TikTok, Instagram". Miami Herald. Retrieved June 26, 2026.
- ↑ "Salt Hank's Founder Henry Laporte Shows How to Make Birria Sandwich Recipe". The Drew Barrymore Show. 2025-10-20. Retrieved 2026-06-27.
- ↑ Scott, Madison. "Three New York TikTokers named 'creators to watch' for 2026". Democrat and Chronicle. Retrieved 2026-06-27.
- ↑ "Food Network Unveils the 2026 Hot List Celebrating Rising Culinary Stars Shaping Today's Food Trends" (Press release). Warner Bros. Discovery. 2026-02-14. Retrieved 2026-06-27.
- 1 2 Hartman, Will (2025-06-26). "An indulgent sandwich with a line at Salt Hank's - Review - New York". The Infatuation. Retrieved 2026-06-27.
- ↑ "From TikTok to the table: What I learned from opening Salt Hank's". Restaurant Dive. Retrieved 2026-06-27.
- ↑ Strong, Andrea (2025-08-20). "The French Dip Takes Center Stage in New York". Eater NY. Retrieved 2026-06-27.
- ↑ Miller, Merlyn (March 10, 2026). "This $34 French Dip Has Customers Lining Up — Here's Our Honest Review". Food & Wine.
- ↑ Fortney, Luke (2025-07-31). "Are These Celebrity Sandwich Shops Any Good?". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2026-06-27.
- ↑ "Is the viral Salt Hank French dip sandwich worth the price and wait?". 10best.usatoday.com. Retrieved 2026-06-27.
- ↑ Chaudhury, Nadia (2026-08-20). "Salt Hank's, the Viral French Dip Shop, Is Now Owned by Ghost Kitchen Company Wonder". Eater NY. Retrieved 2026-10-05.
- ↑ NICHOLE, AMAYA (2026-08-21). "Wonder Bought Salt Hank's to Scale 1 Viral Sandwich. Experts Say Its Cult Appeal Is Now at Risk". Inc. Retrieved 2026-10-05.