Thinking Bigger: Steve Kershner, Twisted Olive

When Emmaus native Steve Kershner and his wife Sherri decided to open Twisted Olive, they were determined to do things other restaurants weren’t doing. Like supplementing their menu with everything grown from their own gardens.

Part of the plan involved clearing a piece of land that was being overtaken by woods on their home property in Williams Township. “In the back of my mind, there was always going to be a large garden there someday,” Steve says, “and when the restaurant idea came into play I said, ‘Now we’re gonna make this garden bigger.’”

One of the fruitful (pun intended) ideas to emerge from the garden is a unique, fully-stocked infusion bar. “We don’t buy any flavored alcohols at all,” says Steve. “We make all of our own, and that includes herbs from our herb garden and vegetables from our vegetable garden.”

That summer lettuce in your salad? Straight from Chef’s garden. And every fall, the restaurant features a Butternut Squash Ravioli entree on the menu. “People start asking me for it in June,” Steve says. “And I have to say, ‘No, no, you have to wait for the squash to grow!’”

And while there are definitely regular favorites offered, Steve is always looking to experiment, to put a fresh but approachable twist on the menu— hence the name, the Twisted Olive. “We didn’t want people to take us too seriously,” he says. “We like to keep it upbeat and casual.” And a chef-grown approach keeps it hyper-local, too.