MEET THE CHEF: Emerson Ross of TONIC in Charlottesville, Virginia

WRITTEN BY 5 REASONS TO VISIT® EDITORIAL STAFF

PUBLISHED AUGUST 2022 • 4 min read

5 Reasons to Visit® sat down with Executive Chef Emerson Ross of TONIC in Charlottesville, Virginia.

Executive Chef Emerson Ross of TONIC in Charlottesville, Virginia

Where did you grow up, and where have you traveled to that has helped inspire and shape your cooking philosophy? 

I grew up in Central Pennsylvania and spent most of my adolescence and early adulthood in Pittsburgh. I have also lived in Providence, Rhode Island and Vermont before moving to Wilmington, North Carolina and now landing in Charlottesville, Virginia. Through all of these moves, I have learned the comfort that comes from a good plate of food. My favorite dishes always seem to be rooted in that idea. As I have become more familiar with Southern food traditions, I have inevitably married the blue collar, midwestern sensibilities of Pittsburgh cuisine with the simplicity and seasonality that drives Southern food.

TONIC in Charlottesville, Virginia

Tell our readers an interesting fact or two about yourself.

Most of my favorite dishes come from eating at very small, hole-in-the-wall Thai, Indian, Szechuan, Japanese, and Vietnamese restaurants.

Tell us about your absolute favorite food and why readers should try it if they haven’t already.

My favorite meal is the chili paste stir fry with tom kha soup from Thai Gourmet in Pittsburgh. The vegetable stir fry is intensely spicy and pairing it with the coconut, lemongrass and fish sauce based tom kha is necessary. I have searched for a tom kha with similar depth of flavor at most other Thai restaurants and they always come up short. If you ever find yourself in the Bloomfield neighborhood of Pittsburgh, it is a must try. It is also a female-owned, family run restaurant that has not changed in the face of gentrification. I miss it dearly and always stop there when I am in town.

TONIC in Charlottesville, Virginia

What are three ingredients that you simply couldn’t live without? 

Lemon, chilies and fennel.

We love the art behind plating. What do you love about designing the perfect dish?

Letting the ingredients be their most beautiful and natural. I shy away from over-garnishing, and try to find the perfection in an ingredients’ most simple state.

TONIC in Charlottesville, Virginia

Tell us about one of the most creative dishes you’ve created?

I have worked on a dish over my tenure at five different restaurants that involves octopus, lamb, pistachio, orange, and fennel. The most recent rendition that was on Tonic’s menu for most of our first year was a cured and rolled lamb belly porchetta. After the cure, it was roasted then sliced thin for a flatbread sandwich. To me, it just represents the evolution that some creative processes go through as they adapt to their current environment.

Share your most recent awards and accreditations with us?

Creating our own little cultural niche at Tonic has been especially rewarding. We all work very hard to maintain a working environment that is healthy, supportive, and inclusive. I am very proud of the team we have and their collective potential.

What are some of the latest trends you’re seeing in top restaurants across the globe?

I think it is very exciting that many small cities across the country are starting to develop their own culinary personalities that are not completely reliant on what is happening at the epicenters of American cuisine. I love being able to go somewhere new and taste something that is truly representative of that place. I think this trend has opened up the conversation around micro-regional cuisine which I find infinitely inspirational.

What’s your favorite cocktail or beverage of choice?

Topo Chico.

What do you love about being the Executive Chef of TONIC in Charlottesville, Virginia?

I love the challenge of bringing something new to Charlottesville.