Runner & Stone

One of my favorite things as the Chair of Hot Bread Kitchen is the annual dinner with the staff and board.  This year we went to Runner & Stone which could not have been more perfect.  One of the owners is Peter Endriss who used to be the head baker at Hot Bread Kitchen.  He finally opened the establishment that he has been dreaming of.

The restaurant is warm and has a great vibe. 

The bakery takes over the back end of the restaurant.

While down stairs there is a room which could be held for private events and the kitchen is down there too.

One of my favorite parts of the restaurant is the brick walls.  Peter took flour sacks from many of his friends bakeries and had them cast into bricks for the restaurant.  They are pretty cool.

Most of the items we had were made for us that night but all good.  We began with these bite sized puffed pastry treats.  Layers of buttery pastry with bite sized pieces of green olives throughout.  A delicious combination of flavors.

The sliced breads and homemade butter can not be beat.

Apple and arugula salad with tiny bread croutons.

Escarole salad with thinly sliced pieces of spicy red peppers.

Killer beet salad which I do believe is on the menu.  Looks like an ice cream sundae.  Roasted beets with a whipped orange ricotta over the top drizzled with a little balsamic vinegar.  Excellent.

Whole wheat pasta with pulled chicken. 

Big creamy gnocche with braised red cabbage.  Really different and pretty comforting on a cold wintry night.

Desserts were a given that they would be delicious.  We got a tasting of a variety of treats.

Brownies were rich with gooey chocolate inside. 

I had a glimpse at some of the pastries left over from the morning in the bakery.  I am definitely going back for dinner and perhaps a Sunday brunch. 

Congrats to Peter and his partner Chris on finally opening their dream place.