For most restaurants, spirits refer to what’s available from the bar. When Chris Taraves crafts entrees for his restaurant patrons, his spirits are often the transcendental kind. Samantha Bambino explored his unusual culinary outlook for the Lower Bucks Times.

Tavares is executive chef at the newly opened Ancient Spirits & Grille in Philadelphia.

There, the Culinary Institute of America graduate offers something truly unique: a menu inspired by herbal and Ayurvedic elements, tailored to meet patrons’ mental and physical needs.

Tavares explained: “Ayurvedic food: It’s not really a religion, but more of a science. Kind of like, ‘You are what you eat.’”

The dining experience at Ancient Spirits & Grille starts with a QR-code driven questionnaire. It comprises the three life forces, (Dosha): air, fire, and earth. Based on responses, it suggests beneficial combinations to customers.

“We use a lot of different ingredients, mostly herbals and stuff that you can put into your body every day that helps you without you knowing it helps you,” Tavares said.

Whereas the pandemic has been a detriment to many restaurants, Tavares thinks he has actually benefitted from it.

“This concept,” he said, “especially with COVID, I think a lot of people are jumping on board. They want to get healthy and build their immune systems.”

More on Levittown’s Chris Tavares is at the Lower Bucks Times.