Talk about timing. I was lucky enough to snag a reservation at ABC Kitchen on the first night of our recent trip to New York City. A week later, the barely-year-old eatery by Jean-Georges Vongerichten won the James Beard Award for Best New Restaurant in the U.S., beating out such touted places as Menton in Boston and Benu in SanFrancisco. My chances of getting into ABC now, I suspect, would be slim and none.
Opened last summer on the sprawling ground floor of ABC Carpet & Home, ABC Kitchen is a stunning wonderland of elegant “beach house” furniture, light wood floors. lush plants and flowers, flattering lighting, and other trappings of the good life. There’s a feeling of Hamptons-style wealth here, but, miraculously, not a whit of pretension. The highly animated crowd is having a great time; the servers are polished and knowledgeable, but, again miraculously, totally at-your-service. From the dramatic table pictured here our jolly group of seven had front row seats for Vongerichten’s impressive new production.
As one might expect, the menu is loaded with all the buzz words of the day --- organic and sustainable, fair trade, recycled, consciously sourced. They make a statement, to be sure, but the menu’s most important statement, in my opinion, is that Jean-Georges is a genius, and executive chef Dan Kluger knows how to translate Vongerichten’s visions into fabulously delicious food. (Alsace-born Jean-Georges reigns over a vast and varied empire of restaurants including a half dozen in New York, plus outposts in Las Vegas, Bahamas and Shanghai.)
We plunged enthusiastically into the fray with sips of Grey Goose, Porter Creek Chardonnay and Maysara Pinot Noir along with bites of toasted country-style bread topped with sweet crabmeat and a spunky lemon aioli, and another crusty hunk spread with fresh ramps (spring onions that are the rage in NYC right now) and goat cheese. Pretzel-dusted calamari sported a perfect crunchy cloak and a devilishy good mustard aioli but were a bit on the chewy side.
Appetizers included a sensational riff on the ubiquitous pork belly, this one crisped and served with shaved radishes, chilies and a Meyer lemon glaze; and an impressive parade of original salads that involved roasted carrots, spinach, sugar snap peas, shiitake mushrooms and avocado, with nary a leaf of lettuce in sight.
But it was in the Entrees act that Vongerichten won the loudest applause at our table. His signature black sea bass, perfumed by the marjoram and mint, basil, dill and jalapeño tucked under the seared skin, was one of the most delicious fish dishes I’ve ever tasted. Presented with baby potatoes that are said to be cooked in water infused with rosemary and tarragon, lemon zest and ginger; and wilted spinach dressed with lemon confit, it was a triple triumph of taste, texture and scent. (This photo appears on a very read-able blog called PeekAndEat.com. Check it out.)
The end of our three-hour-plus dinner brought all kinds of nice surprises. First, a scrumptious rhubarb tart and an over-the-top sundae of salted caramel ice cream with candied peanuts and popcorn, chocolate sauce and whipped cream. And then, the surprisingly gentle bill. No, ABC is not cheap…big-name-chefs’ eateries rarely are. But considering the creativity and quality of the food, and the uniquely fanciful atmosphere, (and considering that NY is home to plenty of eateries peddling $250 prix-fixe affairs), ABC offers very good value. Appetizers, large enough to share, range from $9 to $15; entrees, from $14 to $28. Even the wine list is reasonable with plenty of good choices under $60.
ABC Kitchen. Letter perfect.
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