WASHINGTON — There鈥檚 a new reason to drive to Annapolis for dinner 鈥� and it鈥檚 not for a pile of hard-shell crabs. It鈥檚 for pickles, or, rather, a pickle-centric meal, at the city鈥檚 newest restaurant, .
The restaurant is from husband-and-wife duo Jeremy and Michelle Hoffman. Formerly the chef de cuisine at Restaurant Eve, Jeremy left the Alexandria-based restaurant about a year and a half ago to try something new.
鈥淲e traveled to Vermont and we traveled down to Ashville, North Carolina, looking for a place to plant our roots, with the idea that we鈥檇 probably end up doing a product line of some sort,鈥� Jeremy says. He envisioned that product line would include pickles, hot sauces, sauerkraut and kimchi: 鈥淏ecause that鈥檚 our real passion and drive,鈥� he says.
But a friend 鈥� and now their business partner 鈥� approached Jeremy and Michelle with a proposition: He just purchased an old building on Annapolis鈥� historic Main Street and had no concrete plans for the space. But the Hoffmans had a plan, and so they got to work on opening their first restaurant.
The menu at Preserve focuses on healthy and seasonal food, and of course, anything and everything pickled and fermented. Jeremy鈥檚 homemade preserves sing in dishes such as the pickled beet eggs with salmon roe, and the cast iron mushrooms cooked with preserved lemon and herbs.
The pork, sauerkraut and mashed potato dish is a nod to Jeremy鈥檚 childhood. Growing up in Schnecksville, Pennsylvania, the chef says he ate the dish multiple times a year, and always on New Year鈥檚 Day. The plate is even served with a side of catsup, which is just how he preferred it as a kid.
Jeremy鈥檚 jarred fruits and vegetables also make their way into the cocktail program. The bar menu includes a take on a dirty martini, which is served with a pickled giardiniera mix, and the bar鈥檚 gin cocktail relies on vinegar to deliver both an acidic punch and sweet finish to the drink.
Eventually, Jeremy says, he would like to see his preserves touch every plate offered, but for now, there are a few more fermenting factors to be worked out with the Health Department.
鈥淚 got my permission to do my kimchi and my sauerkraut; I鈥檓 not pushing it too hard right now, but eventually that鈥檚 going to be a drive, to incorporate it into everything that we do 鈥� We want to take it to that extreme,鈥� he says.
Jeremy may run the kitchen at Preserve, but Michelle runs the dining room, putting her background in — and passion for — hospitality to good use. 聽鈥淲e鈥檙e a great team in life, and I think in the restaurant too,鈥� she says.
The couple designed the casual, but contemporary, interior of the 42-seat dining room themselves. Michelle says the wall of food pun art 鈥� which includes prints that say 鈥渓ettuce turnip the beet鈥� and 鈥渢his sh*t is radicchio鈥� reflects her and Jeremy鈥檚 sense of humor and the restaurant鈥檚 focus on fresh, healthy foods.
鈥淚 just want it to feel like you鈥檙e coming into someone鈥檚 home,鈥� she says.
Jeremy says the menu at Preserve will change frequently based on what鈥檚 available from local farmers 鈥� he plans to work with the FRESHFARM Market nearby — but he wants to get through a few dinner services first.
鈥淚鈥檓 not going to go crazy at first because I want to make sure everyone gets up to speed and too much change will compromise the quality of the food. But we鈥檙e going to change, and we鈥檙e going to change because the availability from our farmers changes,鈥� he says.
鈥淲e鈥檙e not pulling in asparagus from California; when [Maryland鈥檚] ready for it, it will be on our menu.鈥�
