Lancaster County has been a longtime producer of simple produce, proteins, and dairy, helping the farm-to-table movement grow in major cities and giving new words to restaurant menus such as “pasture-raised,” “free-range,” and “Amish made.” According to Kyle Sollenberger, co-owner of Passerine and a Mechanicsburg native, Lancaster has only recently become a destination for farm-to-table fare, finally utilizing the abundance of locally sourced and farm-raised ingredients. Sollenberger and his team at Passerine have taken to supporting the farm-to-table movement in Lancaster, further encouraging diners to explore and experience flavors that have been in city's backyard all along.
Passerine, a seasonal new American restaurant and bottle shop, opened in April 2023 with the intent of becoming a space for people to feel they can relax and enjoy fresh and local cuisine with quality drinks to enhance any meal. Passerine’s menu is seasonal, pulling creativity and artistry from many different worldly cuisines found in the American culinary landscape today. Sollenberger, who also owns Passenger Coffee and Prince Street Café, feels people who love food should be experiencing Lancaster’s best finished products made from ingredients grown out of the hard work and dedication of local farmers, vignerons, brewmasters, and spirits and cider makers. It’s in this spirit that Passerine’s team boasts some of the most passionate people in the business inspired by the history and heart of the region!
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Executive Chef Joshua Manny leads Passerine’s open kitchen using fresh ingredients from local farms, upcycling ingredients and featuring familiar dishes in his own interpretation of classic French techniques to develop flavor. For example, a classic pomodoro is made simply from fresh grated tomato and onion. But on Passerine’s menu, Chef Manny creates an enhanced version. He makes a tomato “water” by straining raw pureed tomato. He then processes the remaining tomato pulp and adds it back to the sauce. To finish the dish, he dusts the pasta with tomato powder made from a tomato by-product that would normally be discarded, enhancing the overall tomato flavor and vibrancy of the dish. Strumming the local chord, the Cavatelli Pomodoro is made with local heirloom tomatoes, garlic, and basil from Brogue Hydroponics in Brogue. Also on the dinner menu, the Roasted Beet Salad features “Jonna’s yogurt,” a cow’s milk, Greek-style yogurt made by Chef Manny’s good friend and former colleague Jonna, owner of Fiddle Creek Dairy in Quarryville. The beets and berries on the dish are from Lancaster County and brought in from Lancaster Farm Fresh Cooperative, while the mint is from Brogue Hydroponics.
General manager and local mixologist Steve Wood (a leading light and a familiar face behind some of Lancaster’s best bars for many years) exudes a passion for Passerine’s East Coast beverage program. He works directly with bar manager Jen Splain, who is a trained herbalist. Wood exclaims, “It’s most amazing seeing how she respects produce that comes to the bar. She knows their taxonomic name, the history of herbs and how they are used medicinally. She respects flavor and has a unique approach.”
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Wood notes the collaborative effort from the team using their unique palates to develop layered cocktails like Daisy Verde, a stirred take on a classic margarita with arugula blossom oil washed Arette tequila, and the Bitter Rose, which features Aperitivo Mazzura made from botanicals sourced from the Dolomite Mountains in Italy’s Triveneto region. While botanicals like arugula blossoms are sourced locally, alcoholic spirits are sourced 50% from small producers on the East Coast with the remaining made by those who have been creating specific liquors in the likeness of wine with emphasis on terroir, family heritage, and a spirit of place.
Woods and Sollenberger have also brought together a list of small wine, beer, and cider producers who intentionally and responsibly source their ingredients and who either create interesting beverages or lack amplification. Sixty percent of Passerine's list features wines from the East Coast, while most of the beers and cider are made there too.The restaurant's cider selection is a nod to the history of the Pennsylvania cider industry, which dates back to the 1600s. Local apple orchards have historically been grown for cider production, a note carefully played by the beverage maestros at Passerine!
This new American restaurant is not a fine dining establishment in a large city offering a trending culinary scene. Passerine is a delightful place in Lancaster City where the simplicity in the cuisine is new, interesting, and exciting; where servers talk about wine, drinks, and food; and where the vibe encourages you to enjoy everything in the place you are while humming along to its symphonic, regional tune.
Passerine
114 N Prince St, Lancaster
717-283-2996
