New York’s Best Spring Dishes 2016
There’s not much you need to do to manipulate spring ingredients, such as verdant ramps, unctuous morels, succulent soft shell crabs and sprightly fiddlehead ferns. (We get excited just writing about them!) But restaurants like Brooklyn’s newly minted Olmsted and Seamore’s have managed to take innately amazing produce, and somehow make them even more incredible, so savor spring’s best before summer officially arrives…
Olmsted
Helmed by Atera vet, Greg Baxstrom (along with Atera horticulturist, Ian Rothman), they only have to go as far as their backyard garden at Olmsted where they grow much of the produce you’ll find on the menu. (You can’t get much more local than that!) The menu at this exciting, new eatery features Crawfish Boil Crackers, Pickled and Fried Fiddleheads, Asparagus Salad with wheatgrass aioli, Carrot Crepes with surf clams and sunflower, Guinea Hen with ramps and morels, and Spring Onion Chawanmushi, speckled with summer truffle and lovage to name a few must-try spring dishes.
Read MoreContra
Don’t worry about relinquishing autonomy at Contra, where Jeremiah Stone and Fabian Von Hauske offer a single, ambitious set menu at this Lower East Side dining destination. Because there’s nothing not to love about a committedly seasonal progression, such as Scallops with nasturtium and leche de tigre, Asparagus teamed with crab and celery, Blue Fish accompanied by fennel and favas, Chicken bathed in oyster gravy and morels, and Hake finished with horseradish and ramps.
Read MoreSeamore’s
Come summer and spring, you simply can’t go wrong with fish or seafood. And that’s precisely the focus at Michael Chernow’s beachy Broome Street restaurant, where sustainable catches of the day (such as bluefish, mackerel or longfin squid) are offered with your choice of sauces and sides. Although, you certainly can’t go wrong with salads, the likes of Asparagus and Endive with summer squash and eggplant chips or even sandwiches, since they’re currently serving a rendition with Soft Shell Crab with ramp spread and Louisiana slaw!
Read MoreDucks Eatery
Essentially spring in a cast iron crock, Will Horowitz has tucked every one of the season’s seminal ingredients (confit black morel mushrooms, soft shell crabs, preserved ramps) into a puffy Dutch Baby Pancake at Ducks Eatery. But not to worry if the sought-after special sells out, as you’ll reliably find other appealing, warm weather dishes, such as Crispy Pig Ears with radishes, market greens and stone fruit, Goat Neck with bing cherries, and Crawfish pots with all the fixings.
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Le Turtle
Under the ownership and creative direction of Taavo Somer, the “French New Wave” Le Turtle — inspired by the Lower East Side’s gallery district — can seem hipper than thou. Luckily, there’s not a smidgen of pretention when it comes to Greg Proechel’s flavor-packed menu. The former Blanca chef actually serves straight forward, seasonal, and unequivocally delicious fare; such as Fresh Cheese with ramps and green strawberries, Lamb Belly with porcinis and crushed favas, and English Pea Bisque with truffles and country ham.
Read MoreMarta
Even pizza gets a seasonal makeover at Danny Meyer and Nick Anderer’s Marta, where cracker-thin crusts currently support spring greens, herbs and mozzarella, as well as English peas, mint and speck. Not that pies are the only items to take a trip through the wood-burning oven; try Beer-Brined Chicken with pickled ramps and snap peas, and Duck Breast with pistachios, cherries and balsamic, accompanied by Grilled Asparagus Salad, topped with almonds and a runny poached egg.
Read MoreFaro
Chef-owner Kevin Adey is always coming up with new pastas for the menu at his heritage, grain-focused Bushwick hotspot. Look for Frascatelli (a semolina dumpling) with mint, English peas and pea shoots, and Saffron Conchiglette, cradling buchot mussels and ramps, to complement plates, like Local Beets with pickled strawberries, radish and lavender yogurt, Scallops with schmaltz and asparagus, and Spring Vegetable and Warthog Bulgur Salad, accented with apricots, almonds, and herbs.
Read MoreCafé Clover
Having formerly worked at Market Table, chef David Standridge is every bit as seasonally focused at the health-conscious Café Clover, working hand in hand with a house nutritionist to make sure every item is as wholesome as it can be. Which means you certainly won’t feel bogged down after a meal of Spring Bean Salad with radishes, greek yogurt and chili, Chilled Asparagus with mustard seed and lemon vinaigrette, Rhubarb Gazpacho crowned with avocado and fine herbs, or Hemp Seed Spaghetti, tossed with peekytoe crab, spring peas and pea greens. Now that it’s sunny and warm outside, you’ll want to request a table on their chic, outdoor terrace.
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