Monthly Archives: May 2012

Organic Avenue Pop-Up Opens in Midtown

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Summer never tasted so sweet. Organic Avenue opened a pop-up this week in midtown, a neighborhood notorious for its lack of healthy choices. Fresh fruit and veggie juices will be on offer for a minimum of three months at this location: 3 West 57th Street near 5th Avenue — and possibly longer if the summer lease is extended.

The 5,000-square-foot space is the largest yet for the small, Clean Plates green-rated chain, Organic Avenue (read our review here). Along with vegetable and fruit juices they also sell vegan entrees, snacks, and nondairy ice cream. This location also boasts a communal table for patrons to dine together.

Opening hours for the spacious pop-up are weekdays from 8am to 8pm and weekends from 10am to 7pm.

There are several other locations of Organic Avenue throughout the city: Soho, the West Village, the Lower East Side, Greenwich Village, the Upper East Side and the Upper West Side.

Organic Avenue Pop-Up
3 West 57th Street near 5th Avenue
Monday — Friday, 8am to 8pm; Saturday — Sunday, 10am to 7pm.

Image courtesy of maltman23.

Up on the Roof: Where to Dine Al Fresco

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NYC rooftops aren’t only for cocktails — there are several breezy spots serving up delicious, healthy food to accompany those skyline views. Here are a few of our favorite places to enjoy the warm summer air with your meal.

Gramercy Terrace
2 Lexington Avenue at Gramercy Park
The rooftop of the Gramercy Park Hotel recently underwent a renovation and on May 18th reopened as Gramercy Terrace. Located 16 stories above Clean Plates-approved Maialino, the space has a retractable roof, comfortable seating and is packed with verdant plants. The artisanal, seasonal menu is under the direction of Danny Meyer’s Union Square Hospitality Group. Dine upon this rooftop for breakfast, brunch, or lunch. Reservations recommended.

NoMad Hotel Rooftop
1170 Broadway at 28th Street
Beginning on June 7th, the rooftop space opens up on the 13th floor of the Clean Plates yellow-rated NoMad Hotel. The team behind Clean Plates-approved Eleven Madison Park, Daniel Humm and Will Guidara, are planning rooftop tasting dinners. Tickets for the five-course menus will be sold on the day of dining only, for $125 per person. Expect exquisite views of the Empire State Building in addition to thoughtfully creative dishes.

Birreria
200 5th Avenue at 23rd Street
Located on the top of Mario Batali’s Clean Plates-approved Eataly, Birreria is much more than a place to sample a variety of house-crafted ales and Italian beers. The menu includes fresh salads and inventive options from the grill, including grilled portobello mushrooms with pepperonata, local market fish and skirt steak with a pesto made with watercress. The long wooden tables and retractable roof make this space inviting even on a rainy summer’s day.

Image courtesy of Davidnikonvscanon.

Schoolhouse Rocks: The Greenhouse Project

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Photosynthesis, aquaponics, decomposition; some concepts are best learned by experience. Fortunately, the Greenhouse Project drops knowledge via hands-on education.

Inspired by the New York Sun Works Science Barge, parents Sidsel Robards and Manuela Zamora teamed up to bring the greenhouse laboratory to the rooftop of their children’s school. That first greenhouse project didn’t just work — it thrived, and the kids with it. Continue reading →

Taste of Tribeca Festival is Back… and it’s Delicious

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Ready your forks for the 19th annual Taste of Tribeca Festival, coming this Saturday, May 19, from 11:30am to 3pm. This culinary festival takes place on Duane Street between Hudson and Greenwich, and brings together some of the best restaurants in the neighborhood (complimented by locally brewed beverages) to benefit the arts programs at two of Tribeca’s public schools. Continue reading →

Celebrate Mother’s Day Three Delicious Ways

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Whether your Mom would prefer to celebrate with brunch, dinner, or a hands-on cooking class, Clean Plates has you covered for a sustainable and healthy Mother’s Day.

Brunch at ABC Kitchen
Take brunch at a leisurely pace this Mother’s Day at Clean Plates green-rated ABC Kitchen. Begin the meal with a light kale salad with lemon, serrano chile, and mint, or a roasted carrot and avocado salad. Healthful main course options include a hearty grilled portobello sandwich with peppery arugula and Parmesan cheese, or a spinach, herb and goat cheese pizza. To finish celebrating Mom with something sweet, try the warm pear crisp served with ginger ice cream.

Dinner at Balaboosta
Thank Mom by taking her to Clean Plates-approved Balaboosta (which roughly translates as “perfect homemaker” in Yiddish) and dine beneath the portrait of chef Einat Admony’s aunt in a warm ambiance that celebrates women. Start with the mortar-and-pestle, lemony hummus spread on pita bread hot from the oven. For dinner give the whole branzino with grilled asparagus a try, or twirl the house made beet pasta with spinach, garlic, and crunchy herbed breadcrumbs.

Cooking Classes at Camaje
For a hands on Mother’s Day, sign up for one of the cooking classes at Camaje. Join Chef Abigail Hitchcock on a Shop & Cook class at the Union Square Farmer’s Market for a pre-holiday excursion on Saturday. Catch up with mom as the class gathers ingredients at the market before returning to Camaje for a cooking lesson complete with recipes. On Sunday, a vegetarian Indian cooking class will instruct you both in fragrant spices, chunky chutneys, crispy samosas and more.

Photo courtesy of the Jessica Colley.

 

Table Talk: Jimmy Carbone of Jimmy’s No. 43

Jimmy Carbone

Jimmy Carbone knows his way around the kitchen, the greenmarket and especially the East Village. The chef-restauranteur is also community minded: He works with Family Cook Productions and Heritage Radio Network, where he hosts Beer Sessions Radio program, and he’s the force behind Food Karma Projects.

I joined Carbone at Clean Plates-approved Jimmy’s No. 43 (read our review here) for an early afternoon beer and bite (which I won’t call brunch) to discuss that tricky first meal of the day, food labels and what it takes to run a sustainable restaurant. Continue reading →

Fiesta! Six Stops for Cinco de Mayo

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Sometimes cosas just fall into place. Por exemplo: Cinco de Mayo falls on a Saturday this year, so you can have your tres leches cake (or cerveza) and recover too.

Cinco de Mayo is America’s favorite excuse to get margarita-drenched and chile relleno-stuffed in tribute to Mexico’s victory over the French in the 1862 Battle of Puebla. We suggest you fiesta at one of these Clean Plates-approved restaurants: Continue reading →