Kale is trending hard these past couple of years – it’s the veggie of the moment! For all of the greens lovers out there this simply means that chefs from some of the best restaurants around are trying their hand at creative new uses for the stuff. We couldn’t be happier about it! We’re rounding up a few of the best kale dishes around with help from our friend Tara of The Tara List. Tara gets her paws on some of the best dishes on both coasts and thankfully, she loves kale just as much as we do!
Sycamore Kitchen (LA): For a dynamic and delicious kale salad in LA, head on over to Sycamore Kitchen for their Mediterranean Chicken Salad. Full of dates, hazelnuts, radicchio and blue cheese, this kale salad is finished off with a red wine vinaigrette which you will just love! The crunch of the nuts and sweetness of the date pair perfectly with the blue cheese and bitterness of the kale.
Salt’s Cure (LA): Known as one of the best brunch spots in LA, Salt’s Cure’s weekend menu almost always has some version of their Kale Quiche. Super flavorful yet wonderfully light, this kale dish is what you need on your next brunch splurge.
One Lucky Duck/Pure Food and Wine (NYC): Are you ready to visit raw-kale-heaven? If so, head on over to One Lucky Duck/Pure Food and Wine for some of the best raw kale preparations you’ll ever try. They’ve mastered the art of kale deliciousness, with one of my favorite options being their Pumpkin Seed Herb Salad, which comes sprinkled with macadamia nut “cheese” that is crave-worthy.
Cafe Gratitude (CA, Various Locations): ‘I Am Grateful’ for Cafe Gratitude’s kale dishes! Kick-starting the kale movement back in the day, Cafe Gratitude definitely knows how to make the dark leafy greens wholesome and tasty in various applications. Used in their smoothies, grain bowls, and even as plain chips, kale is the true star at this wonderful vegan spot.
Roberta’s (Brooklyn): Roberta’s in Brooklyn is making serious moves with their kale-topped Baby Sinclair Pizza. Kale, alongside miatake mushrooms, praire breeze cheese, garlic and Calabrian chiles, proves to be an irresistible pizza with sweet and spicy notes atop perfectly cooked crust.
Craft (LA, NYC):Tom Colicchio shows his mastery over vegetables with his Braised Tuscan Kale. He braises kale in sofritto (a mixture of carrots, onions, and celery) for hours until it caramelizes. Then white wine, crushed tomatoes and rosemary finish off the dish to create a medley of melt-in-your-mouth kale goodness.
Buvette (NYC): This super cute French cafe in the West Village has one of the best kale dishes out there. Their Poached Egg comes with pecorino and black kale, which gets slightly wilted with olive oil, garlic and chilis. It’s served atop warm crusy bread, which is a perfect vehicle to sop up the golden runny poached egg and roasted kale.
Balaboosta (NYC): Kale Pasta. Yes, you heard me. The handmade Kale Pasta at Balaboosta is a must try. Mixed with artichoke, sun-dried tomatoes, preserved lemon and topped with a garlic-walnut crumble, this kale dish is a savory pasta dream.
Pressed Juicery (Nationwide): For the tastiest kale-laden cold pressed juices, look no further than Pressed Juicery. They’ve recently added a new kale juice to the family, rounding out with Greens 1, Greens 1.5, Greens 2 and Greens 3, all of which will make you guzzle down your kale with a big smile on your face.
Battersby (Brooklyn): The Crisp Kale Salad has a big reputation, and it certainly lives up to all the hype… The difference here is how the kale is treated, making each bite a new, exciting taste and texture. The kale is crispy, alongside dandelian greens, kholrabi, brussels sprouts, thai basil, daikon, parmesan, and tangy zest, to become a medley of kale flavor that will blow your mind!
RPM Italian (Chicago): Kale gets a fancy makeover at RPM Italian in their Tuscan Kale Salad. Mixed with heirloom spinach and tossed with simple with lemon herb dressing, kale is the royal star of this scrumptious dish.
Pleasant House Bakery (Chicago): Who said you can’t have your kale and indulge too? Pleasant House Bakery harks old English flavor with their individual Mushroom and Kale Pies. The flakey crust encases a mouth-watering filling of mushrooms, kale, white wine, herbs and parmesan, making this a healthy pot pie you won’t regret indulging in.
Darwin Cafe (San Francisco): This hole-in-the-wall cafe in San Fran’ serves up some seriously scrumptious healthy eats. Their Kale Salad is super filling and chock full of delicious goodies – radicchio, lemon, garlic, prosciutto and aged balsamic. The combination of these ingredients will make you swoon over kale like you’ve never thought possible.
The River Oyster Bar (Miami): The River in Miami has a bright and hearty kale salad that will satisfy your cravings all while keeping you slim by the beach too. It’s filled with roasted beets, apples, candied pecans, slab bacon and blue cheese vinaigrette, a tasty mix that will make you lick your plate clean.
Gruner (Portland): Kale gets complex up north in Portland with Gruner’s Tuscan Kale Salad. Don’t expect just another kale salad here; spelt, julienne of kolrabi, carrots and radishes, grated asiago cheese, chives, thyme, and lemon-cream dressing meld into a wonderful explosion of flavor that you’ll lust over.
