It’s rare for a spin-off to be as good as its original, but if we’re talking food and chef Jean-Georges Vongerichten is involved, you can safely keep expectations high. His latest endeavor is vegetarian restaurant, AbcV, a long awaited follow up to his endlessly popular ABC Kitchen (and third project with modern-chic ABC Carpet & Home). Boasting buzz words like sustainable, non-gmo, locally sourced and artisanal what more could we want?
The interior is a whimsical, light-washed sacred space where plants reign supreme, designed to be reflective of the transparency of everything on AbcV’s plates. Our NYC foodie, Kat Odell, stopped by to check it out and made this delicious discovery below…
What I Ate: AbcV’s sea buckthorn and persimmon bowl with whipped macadamia milk.
Why I Ate It: I’ve been eagerly anticipating Jean-Georges’ latest effort, AbcV, for a few reasons. 1) I am a longtime fan of his ABC family of restaurants (plus I stare with emoji-heart eyes at ABC Home’s super window displays every time I pass the store – which happens quite frequently since I reside three blocks away; 2) I reside three blocks away; and 3) I am a big believer in following a plant-based diet (I am currently writing a cookbook called Unicorn Food that celebrates exactly that) as much as possible, and AbcV is a plant-based restaurant.
Why You Need It: It was tough to navigate the breakfast menu because, well, I basically wanted everything on it. The menu is based around wellness-promoting dishes/ingredients and it leans a bit toward Ayurveda without feeling especially Indian (but there are some great dosas on there that challenge Hampton Chutney Co.), and this is the first time I’ve seen a big-name chef like JG stock a kitchen (or bar) with ingredients like jungle peanuts and rhodiola (Sun Potion’s powder is excellent for a.m. energy and mental clarity). High five on that.
Lately I’ve been curious to explore sea buckthorn, the pumpkin orange berry lauded for its abundance in vitamins and antioxidants, and I’ve become addicted to dried and fresh persimmons after spending ample time lately in Japan. What you can expect from AbcV’s sea buckthorn and persimmon bowl is more like a smoothie bowl that begins with a slushy macadamia milk, which supports a crown of assorted fruits and grains like bananas and gooseberries, plus granola with amaranth and ginger. It’s crunchy and cold and a fun way to start the day. Also, pro tip, AbcV’s gluten-free almond (butter) pancakes are out of this world.
