Christian Puccio, a familiar name among Loudoun County foodies, spent more than seven years as general manager of AhSo Restaurant in Brambleton Town Center before announcing last year that he was leaving to open a place of his own. Now that place has arrived: Oak & Ember Tasting Room & Market, a restaurant along Little River Turnpike in Aldie.
According to The Burn, Puccio's career path spans his adult life. At AhSo, he handled guest greeting, staff training, and table service, and he and his wife, Alison, live with their three children in Brambleton.
A Steakhouse That Never Opened
Before striking out on his own, Puccio tried to expand within the AhSo fold. In 2023, while still general manager there, he partnered with AhSo owner and chef Jason Maddens to develop an Italian steakhouse in Brambleton, according to Northern Virginia Magazine. The project fell apart after lease contract negotiations failed, a setback that redirected Puccio's attention back toward western Loudoun County and, eventually, toward Aldie itself.
The storefront Puccio ultimately chose had been acquired by Miami restaurateur Carlos Miranda, the magazine reported. Miranda opened The Black Market, a gourmet market and farm-to-table restaurant, there in October 2024, but it closed in September 2025. Oak & Ember later opened in the space.
Oak & Ember Opens to the Public
Oak & Ember opened to the public on January 2, 2026, with dishes including spicy nduja mussels and gnocchi Bolognese, according to The Burn. The restaurant describes itself as both a tasting room and a market, blending full-service dining with retail elements meant to draw customers beyond typical dinner hours.
Part of that retail strategy is the Ember Collective, a monthly subscription service Oak & Ember created to give members a bottle of wine, house-made pasta, local herbs, sauce, and a recipe card so they can recreate restaurant meals at home. The subscription box is designed to help stabilize revenue outside traditional dining hours, giving the business a second income stream beyond the dining room.
Leaning on Western Loudoun's Farm Network
The kitchen's farm-to-table identity isn't just marketing. Oak & Ember sources dairy and cheeses from Village Cheeseworks in Upperville, produce from Chilly Hollow Farm in Berryville, and fungi from Misty Meadow Mushrooms in Leesburg.
Oak & Ember offers spirits flights alongside wine pairings, according to Northern Virginia Magazine.
Oak & Ember sits along Little River Turnpike in Aldie.
