"When we started the interview, we had a solid connection," said Moiles. "We both had the same ideas for the restaurant, same principles, and concepts. We started going back and forth with details via email: creating recipes, sending photos. Everything went seamlessly. We Skyped on a daily basis; we ended up calling him the robot chef because he was always just on the screen."
Together, the two comprised a menu full of new takes on classic dishes.
"I wanted some old school homey dishes, so people would have that comfort feel," said Moiles. "But we wanted modern, as well; something that grabs your attention."
Dishes like the pumpkin raviolo ($12), which sits atop short rib with amaretto, garlic pesto, toasted pistachio, and fried onion, seasonal gnocchi ($15), currently with figs and gorgonzola piccante, and risotto ($15) with royal trumpet mushrooms and curry are ideal examples of unexpected twists.
"We kind of want to throw you for a curveball," said Moiles. "We want you to say, "Wow. I wouldn't picture that.'"
The menu is broken up into five main sections with the intention of allowing guests to order multiple courses.
Bread ($5 to $12), cheese ($18 for four), salami ($16 for four), oysters and stone crabs ($25 per half pound), with a wide array of east and west coast oysters ($3.75 a piece, $40 a dozen), and stone-fired pizzas, such as the fennel sausage ($18) with house-made sausage, ricotta, padron peppers, and fried egg, mushroom ($18) with shitake adn chanterelle, and tonnato ($19), olive oil poached ahi tuna, capers, and dill make up the snack or sharing portion of the menu.
