Dinner at Emmer & Rye for a Memorable Night

Emmer & Rye doesn’t need more promotion. Its accolade list is long and its owners have opened one hit restaurant after another since. But in a time where everyone is looking for a shiny new restaurant, diners, and restaurant owners should be looking at this restaurant as a reminder of how things should be done.

Emmer & Rye

When the restaurant opened in 2015, it opened to fanfare. The quality of food, the creative dishes, and the focus on sustainability were some of the things the restaurant was praised for. It was Chef Kevin Fink and Chef Tavel Bristol-Joseph’s first owned restaurant, the first of six in the current portfolio.

Emmer & Rye takes farm-to-table to the next level. Heirloom grains are milled fresh for pasta and bread every day. They ferment ingredients for flavor and preservation for off-season availability. They aim for whole animal butchery. It’s the ideal situation where sustainability can be accomplished and farm ingredients can shine.

While Rainey Street has continued on a roller coaster of changes, Emmer & Rye has become a mainstay on the street and on top restaurant lists.

Things Emmer & Rye Does Well

You’ll find a good variety on the menu. There are raw and light options like crudo and tartare to heartier dishes like grilled eggplant and NY strip. Of course, a pasta dish is a must and there are usually three options on the menu.

Signature Dishes

I think restaurants need signature dishes. These are dishes they’re known for and are always on the menu, though seasonal changes can be made. For Emmer & Rye, it’s the cacio e pepe and the agnolotti, and both are excellent.

Fresh Offerings

While the restaurant has its signature dishes and main menu, they also have a special tasting menu every month or so focused on an ingredient. For example, the latest menu was maize and each dish featured corn. The tasting is about 7-10 dishes and is $85 per person.