Dine Out : ABC Kitchen

Jean-Georges Vongerichten's popular ABC Kitchen is probably known as much for being a happening dining spot as it is for it's award winning fresh and organic cuisine. Adjacently located to ABC Carpet and Home, the open space has an eco-chic vibe with homey rustic touches and decor crafted from salvaged materials. The atmosphere is trendy yet laid back and inviting. The seasonal and locally sourced sustainable menu impressively offers a expansive variety of dishes and the food itself was equally impressive. Everything we ordered tasted incredibly fresh and well seasoned with the exception of an artichoke dish that just missed the mark on flavor. The toast options are a signature of the restaurant and the crab toast did not disappoint. The roast carrot and avocado salad with crunchy seeds, sour cream and citrus sounded simple but the texture and taste was unexpectedly flavorful and refreshing at the same time. Our table shared the sundae with salted caramel ice cream candied peanut, popcorn, whipped cream and a rich chocolate sauce. It was such a decadent treat and satisfying at just a few bites. That said, I'm not a dessert person at all. The service was friendly and attentive without being overbearing. I'd heard great things about this place and it lived up to them. This was a very satisfying dining experience overall. One negative against this restaurant is that scoring a reservation can be challenging as you have to make it pretty much a month in advance to the day before you want to dine there. A last minute reservation may be possible if you're willing to dine earlier or later. Another option is to take a chance and walk in and you might be able to get a seat in the bar area which was bustling when we were there.

ABC Kitchen
35 East 18th Street (Park & Broadway)
New York City
212.475.5829