Seasonal / South Philadelphia

Ember & Ash Introduces Five-Course Tasting Menus

[Photo: Mike Prince]

PHILADELPHIA, PA — Starting Wednesday, July 20th, Ember & Ash will begin offering five-course tasting menus featuring seasonal, local produce, as well as proteins, highlighting various dishes which Chefs Scott Calhoun and Dave Feola are creating each month. The five-course tasting menu, which costs $65 for the veggie option, or $80 for a land and/or sea menu, will be served at the restaurant’s Chef’s Table, with two seatings per night. There will also include a vegan option for interested parties.

Tasting menu dinners can be booked for up to 10 people, and since the menus will be specially tailored for each table, the restaurant asks for a 72-hour notice for bookings. Diners are encouraged to contact the restaurant for specific availability, as the restaurant will feature monthly offerings depending on what is in-season and available 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. “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, celtuce, and peas, and 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.

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