New York’s Best Squash Dishes
You’d be hard-pressed to find a cold weather vegetable that comes in greater variety than winter squash. There’s sweet Butternut, creamy Pumpkin, meaty Acorn and even butter-yellow Spaghetti Squash, its silky strands resembling a freshly cooked plate of pasta. And that exciting versatility is precisely what makes squash such a sought after ingredient at restaurants, so be sure to check out the vegetarian-friendly Pumpkin Tacos at Danny Bowien’s brand new Mission Cantina, the hand-cranked Butternut Squash Panzotti at Michael White’s elegant Italian steakhouse Costata, and the Roasted Delicata at Vinegar Hill House in Brooklyn, which serves its tender, skin-on rounds of squash with a Miso-Brown Butter glaze! We’re just getting started…
Mission Cantina
Danny Bowien’s hotly anticipated Mission Cantina is finally open and turning out vibrant Ceviches (the likes of Shrimp & Butterfish marinated in lime & coconut), Rotisserie-Grilled Meats, and of course, a line of inventive Tacos, all served on housemade Anson Mills Corn Tortillas. And while Bowien offers traditional fillings, like Carnitas, Beef Tongue or Pork “Al Pastor,” we’re loving the idea of the Pumpkin Tacos – caramelized chunks of pumpkin topped with a Pumpkin Mole, Pepitas, and fresh Cotija Cheese. Genius.
Costata
The emphasis may be on meat at this new SoHo steakhouse (housed in the former Fiamma space), but Costata is also a Michael White restaurant, making it a crime to miss out on the crudos, and even more so, the pastas. So do yourself a favor and pair the hulking, deeply mineral Tomahawk Ribeye or impossibly tender Filet with dreamy Butternut Squash Panzotti (available as a side or appetizer), triangular envelopes filled with pureed Squash and Ricotta, drizzled with a concentrated Red Wine Sugo.
Alder
Wylie Dufresne is well known for manipulating ingredients, so that they look – or taste – like other ingredients. And that’s what makes spaghetti squash such a perfect vehicle for his edible experiments… a seemingly impenetrable vegetable that once roasted, breaks apart into delicate, noodle-like strands that mimic, well, spaghetti. Dufresne and chef Jon Bignoli actually keep things deliciously straightforward with this new fall dish – a tumble of Spaghetti Squash topped with Pepita Pesto-slathered Hanger Steak, and a Shio-Kombu, an umami-rich dashi stock.
Vinegar Hill House
Though Vinegar Hill House has been touted as one of Brooklyn’s premier destination restaurants, that doesn’t mean the food is fussy, or in any way pretentious. In fact, it’s decidedly down-home and rustic, as exemplified by the two most popular dishes (the Cast Iron Chicken and Red Wattle Pork Chop). It’s also hard not to appreciate the refined simplicity of chef Brian Leth’s seasonal specials, like Delicata Squash roasted with Miso and Brown Butter and strewn with Bonito Flakes, as well as the supple Panna Cotta, intriguingly topped with a Poppy Buckwheat Streusel and scoop of Squash Sorbet.
Lincoln
Per Se alum Jonathan Benno beautifully marries pasta with squash at his popular pre-opera dinner spot in Lincoln Center, appropriated named Lincoln. Benno combines local Cheese Pumpkin from Stokes Farm in New Jersey with grassy Buffalo Ricotta as a stuffing for plump Tortelloni di Zucca. The oversized bundles are then finished with a smattering of crunchy hazelnuts, leaves of fragrant fried sage and a swipe of deeply nutty brown butter – a classic dish elevated by a supremely talented toque.
Buddakan
Pumpkin isn’t the only squash tailor-made for dessert, and the delicate Japanese varietal, Kabocha, is one of our all-time favorites. You’ll find the moist and fluffy vegetable transformed (literally) into Chinese Five Spice-scented Donuts at Meatpacking’s Buddakan, and finished with a Kabocha Squash Cream, Pumpkin Seed Anglaise, Roasted Pumpkin Seeds and cubes of Brown Sugar Caramelized Kabocha Squash. If you’ve got a squash fetish like us, this is your happy place this winter.
Parish Hall
Ordering vegetables is always a good bet at Parish Hall, considering that many of them come from owner George Weld’s Goatfell Farm upstate. And you’ll find a brilliant cornucopia of brightly colored gourds in the Roasted Squash Salad, like Golden Nugget, Buttercup and Sweet Dumpling, accompanied by Spicy Greens, Apple Cider Vinaigrette, and a crazy creamy Burrata cheese.
Allswell
Chef and owner Nate Smith doesn’t draw the line at Butternut for his velvety Winter Squash Soup, alternately blending hefty Hubbards, sweet Ambercups, or whatever else tickles his fancy at the greenmarket that day. Wait, it gets better. Since we’re fans of, we particularly love that he’s drawn inspiration from another classic soup (courtesy of the French), Billi Bi, by topping his thick, vegetal broth with fat and briny Mussels.
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