The first thing one is likely to notice at Ember is, in fact, embers—whether glowing hot in the outdoor fire pit or cooking crusts in the coal-fired oven at the dining room's rear. That oven reaches 1,000 degrees Fahrenheit as it adds its smokey flavor to wings bathed in one of seven sauces and chars thin-crust pizzas topped with gourmet ingredients. Some unexpected combinations: roasted-garlic puree with shrimp and a five-cheese blend, goat cheese with wild berries, and pulled-pork with roasted corn.

Fleshing out the rest of the menu are Italian-style entrees, such as lobster ravioli, which pair equally well with a draft Whales Tale brew or a glass of wine. Yet perhaps those drinks are best enjoyed by that outdoor fire pit on a crisp evening with a pile of hundred-dollar bills serving as a coaster.