Chefs can be compared to famous authors, while the house
they cook in becomes the novel. Some chefs create masterpiece after
masterpiece, and instantly become best sellers. We are lucky enough to have
some pretty spectacular creators here, but a chef-d'oeuvre has been born in
Brian Collins and his new culinary chateau called Ember. This restaurant is a
best selling blockbuster from the first day.
Ember opened their doors the first time to the public on
February 5, 2014 and I was a willing participant in their opening night. The
space has been transformed into a warm, wood filled ambience with an open
kitchen (we can see and hear the chefs creating) and an inviting bar. The
entire crew worked at an efficient and joyful pace, it was as if they all had
been doing this together for years.
To toast the return to Five Cities of Chef Collins, who I
have always been a huge fan, we ordered a bottle of 2010 Justin Isosceles. Gary
started by ordering two desserts, as he was excited about their new pastry chef
(Matt). His first was a Kiwi-Coconut Napoleon with vanilla bean custard served
in a parfait glass. He loved the diced fruit swirled with a coconut cream and
the chewy crumbles of top. His next was a Lemon-Raspberry Tart, with meringue
bites scattered on the dish and lemon cream stuffed fresh raspberries. This is
slated to be my favorite, as I snuck a bite. Gary was in pastry ecstasy.
I started with a Prosciutto Wrapped Artichoke that was lying
on a bed of wild arugula with burrata mozzarella and Calabrian pepper salsa
verde. After just one bite, I ordered another as the prosciutto clung to the
artichoke heart like a glove and enhanced both of these savory favorites of
mine. To say this was the best thing I have ever put in my mouth is an
understatement. My next gastronomic enchantment was the Cayucos Abalone made
with crispy pork belly, house pickled ginger resting on a fanned out bed of
avocado and a Meyer lemon hollandaise sauce. This dish was a religious
experience. Perfection on every flavor front and unique in its pairing.
Our waitress Lauren was a delight and marveled at the amount
of food and wine we enjoyed, while she attentive and anticipatory. Next we
tried the Ricotta Gnocchi, a recipe when done right can bring the angels out to
sing, and this one was. Resting on a bed of wilted Bloomsdale spinach, the top
was crispy with an artichoke fritti and the brown butter sauce enhanced this comfort
food pleasure. As the woodstove is the centerpiece of this stunning restaurant,
we tried a Six Cheese pizza. More like a flat bread, this amazing amalgamation
of flavors included La Quercia pancetta, butternut squash, apples, oregonzola
and caramelized onions all diced so it dispersed evenly around the pie, making
each bite remarkable.
We returned the next night with friends (as I plan to do
often) and Gary began with the Almond Orange Cake with candied Amarena
cherries, toasted pistachios and a honey gelato. The cake was cut into bite-sized
pieces with a sweet, moist constitution. We started with the Ahi Crudo that had
thin slices of raw tuna with a sprinkling of charred jalapeno, fried garlic and
a citronette sauce that was both hot and cold. The sliced avocado and cucumbers
brought the heat down, and made this an impeccable way to start a meal. We also
had the Crispy Pork Belly that included a huge semi circle of delicate meat
with a smattering of Rogue Creamery blue cheese, garlic chips and Rutiz Farms
sprouting broccoli all in a buttermilk aioli. Our friends were now sure that
all my waxing poetically about this amazing chef had not been hyperbole.
The special was Braised Short Ribs that were smoked and
slowly cooked in the wood stove until the flavorful meat fell off the bone. It
was served with house hand cut pasta, roasted cauliflower and brocclini and was
beyond perfection. I had the fish of the day, a Steelhead trout that was cooked
on the grill with capers and a lemon sauce, and was a taste sensation. We
shared a Wild Mushroom pizza with three kinds of chef foraged mushrooms, wild
nettles, smoked leeks and a farm egg in the middle. I am running out of yummy
adjectives here, so I will say we fought over every bite. This flatbread was
perfectly portioned, created and cooked.
We finished the meal with the Chocolate-Hazelnut Terrine
with salted caramel ice cream. This fantastic dessert had texture, flavor and
panache. Bottom line- I would like to
take back every time in the last 10 years I have reported “the best meal ever”-
as I was wrong. Ember has a soul, with so much care and love going into each
diner’s experience it is palatable. The prices are beyond reasonable for such
perfectly created cuisine. Do yourself a favor; come try this novel approach to
a restaurant, good honest food cooked correctly.
Ember is located at 1200 East Grand Avenue in Arroyo Grande.
They have an original bar with a wide
selection of beer and wines. Open Wednesday through Thursday and Sunday from
4:00 pm to 9:00 pm and Friday and Saturday from 4:00 pm to 10:00 pm.
