Passerine
Foodies hungry for exquisite cuisine tend to go to New York and Philadelphia. Often, Michelin star and James Beard-nominated restaurants there tout farm-to-table delicacies on expensive prix fixe menus.
Irony alert—the farms that supply those restaurants aren’t very close to their tables. Yet, in the produce-rich rolling acres of Lancaster County, farm-to-table restaurants are not so common. Passerine opened in April 2023 to fill that void. Located a short walk from Lancaster’s Central Market, Passerine exploits the geographic bounty with creative, shareable dishes that flaunt freshness.
Owner Kyle Sollenberger’s original vision was for a downtown bar in a historic building, but it didn’t pan out. Then, 114 N. Prince St., another historic spot, became available, and from the ashes of one setback, Sollenberger teamed with Dr. Jonathan Shirey to create Passerine, where he could snag locally grown food before it headed to the big cities.
Seventeen months later, this downtown Lancaster gem landed on the 2024 Restaurant List, the New York Times food writers’ top 50 favorite U.S. restaurants. It was one of three in Pennsylvania to make the list, joined by Little Walter’s in Philadelphia and Fet-Fisk in Pittsburgh. Not too shabby.
Music to the Taste Buds
Passerine was already turning heads before Times writer Nikita Richardson started randomly following it on Instagram and decided to pop in for a fortuitous taste. By the time she arrived, the restaurant had a new executive chef, Kevin Venbrux, who started in February 2024 after more than three years at Blackworth in Lititz.
Venbrux’s career in food started with his first job as a grocery store bag boy, but his love for music steered him to school for audio engineering. He was working as a tour manager for Lancaster alternative metal bands while working in local restaurants when not on the road. Enter COVID. The restaurant industry rebounded more quickly than music tours, and a full-time chef was born.
Although he’s still connected to the music world, Venbrux sees his role as an executive chef as similar to a tour manager—both want happy guests at the end. “I make sure everything is running smoothly, have a million problems that need fixed, fix them as smoothly as possible, make sure guests are served the experience they are expecting and are happy when they leave.”
Passerine is a restaurant with an ethos of meaningful food and beverage, sustainable systems, regional focus, intentional education and exceptional experience—and Venbrux puts all parts of that into his repertoire of creativity. It’s located in a historic building with a small kitchen that has one six-burner stove and a little char grill. That means prep-heavy mornings with fresh ingredients used that day. Venbrux praises his team as being one of the best, and it’s evident with a wait staff that knows everything about the dishes on the menu and a beverage director who helps with pairings.
Local sourcing is key. In addition to trips to Central Market, Venbrux has developed relationships with several local farmers (Brogue Hydroponics and Fields Edge Farm). Some commodity staples come from a larger company with a local farm focus.
The day the New York Times list dropped, Passerine was closed.
“We were all at home, and I had just had my little one. I was at home with a newborn. It was a huge surprise,” Venbrux said, adding that they knew a writer had been in, but thought they might just see an Instagram post after the visit. It was so much better.
Reservations immediately maxed out. “It was kind of then, game on. I told my team—this is an amazing team—stay true to who we are. Keep doing good, tasty food,” Venbrux said. “It was a fun ride. The first couple of weeks were intense in a great way. It’s really made us better.”
In the Kitchen
Chef’s Bites: Chef Kevin worked at the Press Room, then the Plough and The Exchange at the Lancaster Marriott at Penn Square, then at Blackworth Live Fire Grill in Lititz.
Favorite Dish: Beet Tartar, with beets replacing beef—and chips and a sauce. Chef steams the beets in a pickle brine to give them more flavor. The cream is a basil, dill shishito crème, and the chips are house made. “[We] take a very simple dish with a simple vegetable and put a lot of love into it on the back end. Then, when we serve it, it’s beets in a bowl with chips, but it’s very tasty.” Other popular dishes: a crepe cake that changes seasonally; flame-grilled carrots smothered in honey sitting on a creamy bed of shallot, sumac and fennel soubis; pastas like pappardelle and lamb ragu; and unique sorbets like one flavored with pine tips.
Pro Tips: Ask the service team for recommendations. The menu is constantly evolving. Allow them to curate your experience. Sign up for emails to learn about their special dining events. Ask about the “Let Us Cook for You” experience, a tasting menu option that’s planned.
If You Go: Passerine is located at 114 Prince St., Lancaster. Reservations, available on Resy, often go quickly. Open Monday, Thursday and Friday, 5 to 10 p.m.; Saturday, 10 a.m. to 10 p.m.; Sunday, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. For more information, visit www.cafepasserine.com.
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