For those who have ever thought that you can't bottle success, chef Jeremy Hoffman may beg to differ.
Next week, he and his wife, Michelle, will open the doors of Preserve, their new Annapolis restaurant that places an emphasis on canned, pickled and fermented foods. If all goes as planned, Preserve will debut April 15.
[Chef de cuisine Jeremy Hoffman leaving Restaurant Eve for Annapolis]
Jeremy Hoffman, the former chef de cuisine at Restaurant Eve in Alexandria, described Preserve as a "casual American restaurant with a focus on seasonality."
"We're trying to skip the 'farm to table' buzzword that's kind of taken over every restaurant that's opened up," he said.
The chef attributes his fascination with preserving in part to his family's Pennsylvania Dutch roots. In preparation for this project, which had long been in the back of the couple's minds, he started putting up produce while still at Restaurant Eve. He said chef-owner Cathal Armstrong allowed Hoffman to receive deliveries of jars at Eve. The canning work happened from about 6 to 11 a.m. on Saturday mornings before dinner service prep began.
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"I acquired quite a bit of inventory," the chef said.
His current collection includes pickled ramps from last spring, as well as raspberry jelly. Michelle Hoffman said the jars will form "edible art" around the restaurant. For now, they'll all be used be used there, but in the future the couple may spin off a line of preserved foods that will be available for purchase.
Other in-house projects include kimchi and sauerkraut. Jeremy Hoffman has also developed a smoked padrรณn pepper hot sauce that will be incorporated into the menu.
That menu will be largely driven by daily specials, he said, depending on what ingredients are available from local producers. He said he'll continue to work with suppliers he built relationships with at Restaurant Eve, in addition to patronizing the local FreshFarm farmers market.
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Dishes lean heavily on the starter and sharing size, with just a few entrees.
Share this articleShare"The menu reflects how Michelle and I like to eat when we go out," Jeremy Hoffman said. Often they'll order a few smaller plates to share, passing on an entree entirely. But when they do order a main dish, they'll usually split it.
Examples of what diners can expect at Preserve include cast-iron mushrooms with preserved lemon, Old Bay shrimp toast, a steak tartare sandwich and fried egg grits. The restaurant will be open for lunch, dinner and brunch.
To drink, Preserve will feature four Maryland beers on tap, 10 domestic beers by the bottle or can, house-made sodas, wines from Great Frogs Winery and cocktails developed by Michelle Hoffman.
Husband and wife are both graduates of the Culinary Institute of America, where they met. They worked together briefly at Restaurant Eve before Michelle moved on to other positions within Armstrong's Eat Good Food Group. But the experience of sharing a workplace didn't prevent them from wanting to do it again.
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"I can't imagine doing this with anyone else," Michelle Hoffman said.
Added her husband, "I think we make a good team."
Preserve, 164 Main St., Annapolis, 443-598-6920. preserve-eats.com. Opening April 15. Lunch 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Wednesday through Friday; dinner 5 to 10 p.m. Wednesday and Thursday, 5 to 11 p.m. Friday and Saturday and 5 to 9 p.m. Sunday; weekend brunch 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Bar menu 3 to 5 p.m. Wednesday through Sunday.
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Chef de cuisine Jeremy Hoffman leaving Restaurant Eve for Annapolis
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