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Andrew and Kristin Wood's Russet to open Feb. 12 14
Andrew and Kristin Wood are looking at Sunday, Feb. 12 to open Russet (1521 Spruce St.), an independent venture for a hitched-chef couple who's worked the kitchens of James, Maia and Fork locally in addition to stints at Boston's Radius (where they met), Chicago's Tru and Trio and Cali's Terra and Quince.
Andrew and Kristin Wood's Russet to open Feb. 12 14
UPDATE [08feb12]: More details on Russet's menu.
Andrew and Kristin Wood are looking at Sunday, Feb. 12 Tuesday, Feb. 14 to open Russet (1521 Spruce St.), an independent venture for a hitched-chef couple who's worked the kitchens of James, Maia and Fork locally in addition to stints at Boston's Radius (where they met), Chicago's Tru and Trio and Cali's Terra and Quince.
The well-traveled duo put that peripatetic nature to best use while venue-hunting, touring through dozens of spaces before landing at the former home of Ernesto's 1521 Café. Though it's got an unorthodox layout — an outer hallway separates the kitchen and dining room, and much of the space's square footage, while ample, is relegated to disconnected rooms and the basement level — it's still got the proper Center City sheen for what the Woods want to do.
As the so-called "farm-to-table" approach becomes more and more de rigueur, simply sourcing locally is not enough — you've got to ensure you're sourcing the best of what's nearby and cut that with thoughtful cooking. 'We've taken the time to cultivate relationships with growers," says Andrew, who's working with purveyors like Lancaster Farm Fresh, Erdenheim Farm and Green Meadow, the latter of which is dedicating an acre of land to growing for Russet. "We want to do local 100 percent. We definitely favor ingredients over technique. If we get the best food, we don't have to do much to it."
That, of course, downplays the thought that's going into Russet's tight dinner menu (think six $8-to-$12 apps, six $20-to-$28 entrées and four desserts, plus lots of cheese). Andrew, an experienced butcher, has been working with whole animals from Lancaster County, breaking down a 370-pond hog for prosciutto, salame toscano and other charcuterie and purchasing a whole steer for dry-aged beef. Dishes like local guinea hen with roasted hubbard squash and double-smoked bacon or maitake-stuffed brook trout with salsa verde will bolster the savory, while Kristin's got sweet plates like chocolate ginger tart with candied blood oranges and pine nut olive oil cake with sun-dried cherries and rosemary ice cream up her pastry sleeves.
The Woods, parents of a 4-year-old, have a clever hook planned for the rear private dining room — they're converting into a rugrat-friendly haven for a once-monthly "Date Night," which'll allow moms and dads to enjoy dinner in peace while a certified caretaker watches after the kids.
Russet will be open Tuesday to Sunday from 5:30 to 10:30, will brunch both weekend days from 10 to 2. Thrice-weekly lunch service is in the plans, too.
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