Tasting Five-Courses at Ember & Ash
Ember & Ash Introduces Their Five-Course Tasting Menus Using Local, Seasonal Produce and Proteins
The hottest trend to find across all menus is to incorporate local farm-to-table options on restaurant menus. On that note, Ember & Ash will begin offering five-course tasting menus featuring seasonal local produce, as well as proteins. In doing so, Calhoun and Feola will be highlighting various dishes they create each month. The five-course tasting menu, which offers a veggie option ($65) versus the land and/or sea menu ($80), will be served at the restaurant’s Chef’s Table. There will be two seatings per night.
The tasting menu dinners can be booked for up to 10 people. Just be aware to give the restaurant a 72-hour notice for bookings, since the menus will be specially tailored for each table. Additionally, you may want to call ahead to ensure that Ember & Ash has the availability to accommodate specific bookings, because the restaurant will feature monthly offerings and is dependent on produce and ingredients that are in-season from local farms.
“When we first opened, we had what turned out to be an ambitious concept, and it didn’t speak to some of our prospective guests,” said Calhoun in a press release. “We understand that people may not leave their comfort zones, but we also believe that it caused people to miss what we’re all about, which is a restaurant that offers a menu filled with delicious vegetables and everyday foods. We do some very special things with seasonal produce, and this new tasting menu is a way to really put it out there that we are a restaurant for everyone. You don’t need to be an adventurous eater to enjoy our food. And we are also very proud to only use ingredients from our local farmers.”
The Chef’s Table is also available for exclusive parties, as the restaurant will take reservations by request for micro buyouts for those who want a dining experience on a night the restaurant is normally closed for service.
According to Calhoun, roughly 80 percent of the restaurant’s produce comes from Ian Brendle’s Green Meadow Farm in Lancaster County, with current produce including zucchini, squash, lettuce, and peas. Also, much of the restaurant’s produce hails from Hill Creek Farm, with various peppers, favas, gooseberries, and more coming from the Pottstown, PA farm. Ember & Ash also works with Country Time Farm, Urban Roots, The Fields Edge, and Stone Arch Farm, former Elizabeth Mangalitsas. All of the food that Ember & Ash sources is local, and the entire menu is created to be sustainable, as the chefs use all parts of produce and animals with their custom wood-burning hearth.
Additionally, Ember & Ash started offering buck-a-shuck oysters during happy hour from 5-7 p.m. Tuesday through Thursday. Also included in happy hour are $5 skewers, $6 glasses of bubbly, and other beverage specials.
Ember & Ash is located at 1520 East Passyunk Avenue by the Singing Fountain. Learn more by visiting http://emberandashphilly.com.