Emmer & Rye
Named after two grains, Emmer & Rye is a contemporary American restaurant that, unsurprisingly, serves a grain-heavy menu in a dining room where bundles of wheat are on full display. More than 15 heirloom grains, including White Sonora, Blue Beard Durum, and Red Fife, are house-milled and used in baguette sandwiches, pastries, and pastas like the creamy, slightly nutty cacio e pepe with Challerhocker cheese. The menu also emphasizes fermented vegetables and meat-centric plates (the fermenting and butchering are also done in-house). In addition to à la carte service, Emmer & Rye has a food cart that circles the dining room during brunch and dinner with dim sum-style small plates. Offerings change daily but you’ll always find innovative compositions with unusual ingredients -- how often do you see Blue Beard Durum wheat on a menu, after all?