Philadelphia, PA - America’s hottest neighborhood, Fishtown Philadelphia (Forbes, May 2018), is about to get even hotter as the culinary trailblazers behind Mistral King of Prussia, Mistral Princeton and elements Princeton announce today details of their newest seafood-driven dining concept, "Aether". aether will be the group’s first restaurant within Philadelphia’s city limits, located at 1832 Frankford Avenue, and will officially open its doors late Summer 2018.
Leveraging the group’s established reputation for unparalleled service and a remarkable ability to transform traditional flavor profiles into dynamic new ones, aether seeks to captivate neighborhood residents, visitors and city-goers alike with an accessible, yet forward-thinking menu of fresh seafood and inventive cocktails.
aether’s menu will reflect the same superlative emphasis on fresh, local ingredients as its sister restaurants, sourcing menu items day-of and serving them in their most-natural states to extract each ingredient’s purest flavor. A raw bar filled with seafood delicacies, including oysters, live scallops and razor clams, will be complemented by a progressive wine and cocktail program that is both approachable to the novice and alluring the enthusiast.
“We’ll be curating aether’s bar menu with spirits and wines inspired by my travels both in and out of the country,” explains Fia Berisha, Operating Partner. “I am the most excited about the variety of Mezcal and natural, bio-dynamic wine selections we will have, all at affordable price points.”
Additional menu items include Lobster Rolls, Shrimp ‘Po Boys, Crab Linguine and a local Catch of the Day. The menu will also boast a variety of vegetarian options, including but not limited to Spinach and Mushroom Cavatelli and Fried Green Tomato Sandwich.
“We want the restaurant to feel like home for locals, and a neighborhood destination for visitors” says Berisha. “That’s why we’re keeping as much as we can local, including everything from the food to all aspects of the interior design.”
Berisha’s role as Co-Owner at aether will be vastly different from her previous roles at Mistral and elements. In addition to managing the restaurant’s day-to-day operations, Fia will assist Executive Chef Scott Anderson and elements’ Chef de Cuisine Mike Ryan with menu and recipe development. Diners can expect to see Fia behind the kitchen multiple nights a week, alongside aether’s Chef de Cuisine, Chris Boyce, whose current role is Chef De Cuisine at Mistral King of Prussia. Additionally, Fia will train and oversee the FOH and BOH staff and collaborate with local Fishtown artists to design the restaurant’s interior.