Blink and you might miss The Tippling House, a tiny wine bar at the corner of Coming and Spring streets. Open since 2021, the cozy spot, owned by Matthew Conway and Carissa Hernandez, has been a haven for wine lovers. Recently though, it’s become a prime foodie destination, too.
That’s all thanks to chef Micah Pearson, the passionate playmaker behind the Tippling House’s fresh and ever-evolving food menu. Pearson joined the wine bar last fall.
Before joining Tippling House’s small (but mighty) team, Pearson worked in kitchens at local restaurants like Melfi’s, Chez Nous and Harold’s Cabin. His love for cooking started when he was young.
“I’ve had a bit of an affinity for cooking since growing up,” he said. “My mom wanted to be a chef, but she had me and my brother back to back so she couldn’t really do that. I struggled with my weight throughout my teens and my mom taught me a lot about nutrition and eating better in general — that changed my life in a lot of ways.”
Pearson’s menu, which changes often, highlights fresh, local produce. While the produce itself inspires dish ideas, sometimes Pearson simply thinks up something delicious after a good night’s sleep.
Pearson explained his off-the-cuff menu creation method: “Sometimes I wake up and I’m like, ‘You know what would be a really fun idea?’ ”
Pearson’s enthusiasm for his craft is infectious. For example, if you think you don’t like mushrooms, just wait for him to cook you a mushroom steak. You may just change your tune.
Passion and precision
As the only cook in the kitchen — literally — Pearson is usually pretty busy whipping up dishes for diners. But he makes a point to visit the dining room when he can, especially when guests are ordering almost everything on the menu.
“It’s like, ‘Hey, I appreciate you,’ right?” he said. “Clearly, you enjoyed it, you know — you keep ordering more.”
Pearson mentioned a couple that enjoyed their meal so much they returned with friends the following week. They brought their parents the week after that.
“I would much rather make food that resonates and connects with people, because I don’t know if you noticed, but I’m not exactly like the super stuffy type,” Pearson joked. “Being able to connect with people … it’s about the food and the people, it’s about hospitality. It’s not about me. … I’d rather put the food out and have people enjoy that experience and put down the phones, you know, go back to old school stuff.”
Perhaps customers can connect so much with Pearson’s food because of how much fun he’s having making it. Quite simply, Pearson said part of his cooking technique is “making vegetables fun.”
Dive into dishes like the Raven Farms Lion’s Mane, served with morita, chive oil and fennel pollen or the Spoon Salad, made with farro, local peas, bitter greens and topped with everyone’s favorite crunchy bits: chips.
“It’s not just about putting the food on the plate,” Pearson said. He likes a challenge — and he really likes to challenge diners’ preconceived notions of what kind of foods they may or may not like. One of his favorite things to hear is that someone in the dining room is eating something that may be just out of their comfort zone.
And while Pearson likes to have fun with his food he’s serious about it too — he’s seen firsthand what disastrous effects poor eating habits can have on folks’ health and livelihood.
“It’s so hard to get access to good food. And it is honestly a shame, because we live in one of the most prolific states to get fresh and diverse produce in the entire country,” Pearson said. “The fact that not enough people highlight and focus on it as much as they should, breaks my heart. Sometimes, I, for lack of better words, want to change the world with my food.”
The Tippling House is open from 4 p.m. to 10 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday. Learn more at thetipplinghousechs.com.
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