Jeremy Salamon
Agi’s Counter | Brooklyn
February 2023
Thanks to some gentle nudging from his grandmother, Jeremy Salamon began his culinary career at just 11 years old, scooping ice cream and peeling potatoes at a local country club in South Florida. After graduating high school, Salamon moved to New York to attend the Culinary Institute of America, while working the line at Prune on the side. After a year, he started having doubts that culinary school was for him. Unsure what to do and looking for advice, he took a chance and reached out to Chef Andrew Carmellini. To his surprise, Carmellini responded and encouraged the young chef to follow his instincts. Salamon dropped out of school and joined Carmellini’s team at Locanda Verde. Cherishing the opportunity, Salamon worked through every station at the restaurant, even taking on bread and butchery apprenticeships. In 2013, Salamon joined the team at Buvette as sous chef, while also taking shifts at the restaurant’s bar to further expand his knowledge and skill set. After helping the group open its third restaurant, Via Carota, in 2014, Salamon moved on to The Eddy, working as sous chef under mentor and friend, Chef Brendan McHale.
In 2017, Salamon began hosting his own pop-up series, Fond, paying homage to his Hungarian roots. Looking to explore his heritage further, he traveled across Hungary, where he experienced the food and drink firsthand. Once stateside, Salamon returned to The Eddy, this time as executive chef, and began incorporating more of his Eastern European background into his dishes. Determined to open his own spot, Salamon fundraised the money for his restaurant, and in November 2021, opened Agi’s Counter. Named after his grandmother, the cozy Crown Heights spot offers comforting, chef-driven dishes inspired by Salamon’s childhood, like his chilled borscht with a pickled grape garnish. Agi’s Counter has become a neighborhood destination for the local community and beyond.
