Thanksgiving is upon us. For those not braving the kitchen to prepare a feast, don’t despair. Have yet to make a reservation? Fear not. There are elegant Clean Plates-approved restaurants ready to welcome diners with open arms this Thursday. Note: Most require reservations, but still have openings. Don’t delay!
Following are our recommendations for every body. Continue reading
Sanne Ytting dreamed of bringing the foods of her native Denmark to New York City, where she’s been working as a teacher and psychotherapist for more than a decade; after translating her desire into action, Aamanns-Copenhagen opened earlier this month, serving up artfully constructed smørrebrød, Denmark’s signature open-faced sandwiches. Continue reading
The City Bakery has always led a double life: decadent bakery in the front, health-conscious prepared food bar in the back. Chef-owner Maury Rubin’s newest venture just might bridge the gap between buttery pretzel croissants and kale salads: his new juicing station behind the bakery’s back counter features made-to-order drinks with a focus on flavor. No spirulina or protein powder in these beverages: the unique combinations of ingredients, sourced from the local greenmarket, will change with the seasons, and are treated individually to bring out the best flavor. Sweet potato is cold-pressed to reduce starchiness, then pulverized with orange and cilantro to create a drink as imaginative as the bakery’s infamous hot chocolate blends. Continue reading
Two new restaurants are pointing a spotlight on the inconspicuous East Village half-street known as Extra Place. Both share a door, a kitchen crew headed by Michael Han, formerly of Ciano, and an owner, Amadeus Bogner, formerly of Hung Ry — but they are two very different siblings. Continue reading
Sometimes it’s hard for New Yorkers to bring the farm all the way to their table. After a long day of work and commuting home, it’s likely many mini refrigerators open to reveal outdated ketchup and a half-tub of yogurt. It’s no wonder so many reach for the take out menu instead of a cutting board. The next logical step is to pick up the phone. Right?
Perhaps not. Sweet Roots NYC, an innovative farm-to-kitchen counter service, offers menu planning, ingredient prep and delivery (which neatly takes the hardest steps out of the process). Continue reading
It’s not often that Manhattan’s food scene takes cues from Canada, but when a vegan father and son visiting from New York fell in love with a Toronto raw food mini-chain, they begged Rawlicious co-owners Chelsea Clark and Angus Crawford to venture stateside.
Chelsea and Angus listened, and New Yorkers can now reap the benefits of raw fine dining. Just opened in July, Rawlicious is Soho’s answer to Union Square’s raw food stalwart (and Clean Plates-approved) Pure Food and Wine. Continue reading
An ephemeral new pop-up is in town: The Standard Plaza, The Standard hotel’s seasonal outdoor restaurant, compliments of Next Iron Chef Seamus Mullen, the owner of the Spanish restaurant Tertulia in the West Village. Continue reading
Vegans and vegetarians weary of the cucumber avocado roll will rejoice at the opening of Beyond Sushi, chef Guy Vaknin’s new Union Square venture that opened to an eager public on July 11. Continue reading
It just got easier to keep cool on New York City streets this summer, if you can find The Squeeze, a food truck dishing up interesting raw, vegan, organic and gluten-free concoctions and juices.
The reconditioned UPS truck has recently re-emerged and is serving up dishes like Moc n’ Cheese, made with cashew cheese; vegan hot dogs; and other raw, gluten-free and organic soups, salads, desserts and more, served in eco-conscious plastic ware.
To boot, the juice truck is just one arm of the wellness and beauty lifestyle company named the same thing — The Squeeze — which offers detox cleanses and uses super foods and fresh, organic, live produce in its gourmet raw meals. The company also offers catering services, raw food preparation classes and nutritional counseling.
A jill-of-all-trades, Karliin Brooks not only runs the bio-diesel-fueled juice truck, but has also worked for ABC News as a freelance producer, owns a movie location company for Hollywood productions looking to shoot in the city, is a former model, a dedicated lifetime vegan and runs a distressed animal rescue operation. Her education is equally varied, with degrees in broadcast journalism and nutrition from New York University, as well as culinary arts training at The Natural Gourmet Institute.
While there is a Twitter account — @TheSqueezeTruck — it doesn’t look like it’s been updated for a while. We’ve heard the truck has been in Union Square lately; why not track them down and tell them to start tweeting so the rest of the city can find them too!
Image courtesy of The Squeeze.
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.
“...Whether you want to stay trim or re-boot your eating habits entirely, Jared Koch's expert nutritional advice makes eating well simple and delicious.
Mark Hyman, M.D., author of the #1 New York Times bestseller,The Blood Sugar Solution
“a great resource for finding restaurants that let you indulge in a delicious meal out without checking your ethics (or your top button) at the door
