Since 2014
A Restaurant That Begins in the Soil
Olive & Ash started as a question: what if a kitchen took its orders from the land instead of the other way around? Twelve seasons later, that's still the only rule we keep.
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- Seasons of service
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- Partner farms
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- Oak fire, always lit
The Beginning
An old mill, a single fire
We took over a derelict grain mill on the edge of Stonebrook in the winter of 2014 — drafty, beautiful, and impossible to heat. So we built a fire. One oak-fed hearth became the literal and figurative center of everything we do.
Chef Mara Ellison had spent a decade in city kitchens chasing the next ingredient flown in from somewhere far away. She came north to do the opposite: cook a smaller, truer menu from the fields she could see from the back door.
The Farms
We name everyone who feeds us
There are no anonymous ingredients here. Wren Hollow grows our roots and greens; Birchwood raises pasture pork on orchard windfall; Quarry Hill sends whatever the trees are heaviest with that week.
Every Saturday before service we walk the farmers' market, shake hands, and let the best of what's there write the night's menu. If the peas aren't ready, we don't serve peas.
The Kitchen
Fire does most of the work
Almost everything that reaches your table has met live oak flame — vegetables buried in embers, fish cooked on the bone, bread baked in the heat the fire leaves behind. Smoke is our quietest seasoning.
We keep the cooking simple on purpose. When a carrot is grown well and cooked with patience, it doesn't need much help. Our job is mostly to stay out of its way.
The Room
Built for lingering
Low candlelight, long communal tables, and worn wood that's earned its patina. We designed a room you don't want to rush out of — and then we set the pace of service to match it.
Come for an anniversary, a Tuesday, a reason or none at all. Stay as long as the candles last.
The People
Hands at the fire
Mara Ellison
Chef & Owner
Trained in the city, rooted in the valley. Mara cooks the menu she wishes existed when she moved north.
Idris Okonkwo
Head of Fire
Keeper of the hearth. Idris has tended the oak fire every service since the second season.
Lena Boros
Pastry & Preserves
Turns the orchard's gluts into galettes, jams, and the burnt-honey custard regulars won't let leave the menu.
Say Hello
A private dinner, a question,
or just to say thanks.
We read every note. Whether you're planning a celebration or curious about the farms on our menu, drop us a line.
Olive & Ash
118 Mill Race Lane, Stonebrook, NY 12534
(845) 555-0142