Local artwork adds to the décor and the food at Media’s Rye BYOB is layered with texture, color and playfulness, writes Ed Williams for mainlinetoday.com.

This recently-opened restaurant foregoes traditional first- second- and third- course descriptions, focusing instead on starters, pastas and proteins.

“We prefer that our diners create their own personal pick-and-choose tasting experience,” says chef and owner Ryan Sulikowski.

For starters, there’s shishito peppers with feta and cured olives, roasted Brussels sprouts with cilantro and rye berries, and smoked trout with charred squash, arugula, crispy shallot, mustard vinaigrette and capers.

Pasta choices feature house made garganelli or toasted spaghetti and butternut squash torelloni.

Protein choices include salmon, a half chicken, scallops, mussels, and a surf-and-turf combo. A local favorite is a double-beef cheeseburger.

On-site desserts range from gooey cinnamon buns to a crepe cake made with rye flour and cocoa.

And there are hot toddys,

“We’re elevating more familiar foods while keeping things approachable and affordable,” says Sulikowski.

They do have heated tables out front and Sunday night family dinners are available pre-ordered online.

They opened amid the COVID-19 pandemic and he and his wife, Brianne, became new parents in July. 

It’s been an eventful year.

Read more about Rye BYOB at mainlinetoday.com.