Even non-foodies know about ABC Kitchen. The ABC enterprise is a total juggernaut in the city. Whether you're lusting after Tibetan art at ABC Carpet & Home or drooling over clean, organic eats at any of the ABC restaurants, you're probably swooning over something here. The sheer number of reviews for ABC Kitchen almost makes me want to save my energy because I'm guessing that most things one could say about this place have already been documented here. But as evidence by that painful run-on sentence, I'm going to take a stab at writing ABC Kitchen up, too. It was a long-awaited trip and the food was delightful. It didn't wow me in the way that I was expected to be wowed, but my expectations were comically high. So considering that, I'm satisfied.
We came here at around 8:30 on a Saturday night. And yes, for a primetime reservation like that, you'll need to book pretty far out. It's worth it, just to get the full ambiance of this place. I had already been to ABCv before dining at ABC Kitchen so was already familiar with the general aesthetic at all things ABC, but this was still a treat. Simultaneously trendy, warm, natural/earthy, elegant. Take a lap if you can while you're waiting for your noms to arrive.
In addition to a superb wine list, ABC Kitchen has a good selection of cocktails. I get giddy ordering cocktails at the Jean-Georges establishments because I feel like the relative healthfulness of the drinks cancel out the fact that I'm drinking poison. There are always some fruit and veggie components, which is not the norm of mixed drinks. Nowadays I mostly drink wine (I ordered wine with dinner ultimately), but I made an exception for Carrotini here. Vodka-based, carrot, ginger, lime. I'm a health nut and this felt like a proper Juice Press shot--making me twice as happy because it also helped with the whole inebriation thing.
The drinking experience was slightly tainted, though. The cocktail took about 30 minutes to arrive. The bartender did pour it in front of us which was a nice touch, but the flair was lost on me given how impatient I had become at that point. My glass of wine "with dinner" also didn't pan out so well. Our waiter was emphatic that the Sancerre would pair well with one of our mains (the bass--more on that in a moment), which I factored into my decision-making process. Unfortunately, the wine didn't arrive until long after we were served said main. It was tasty, but tardy.
The food here is as advertised. Fresh and organic, clean flavors, healthy and interesting. Nothing wildly creative but all well-executed. We ended up splitting one of the smaller bites, one appetizer and two mains. It was just barely enough food--I was expecting the mains to be bigger, so we could've managed with one more app. Can't have too much FOMO, though. Our eats, below:
Crab toast with lemon aioli: A
The famous crab toast! I was expecting to have my world rocked, and that didn't quite happen. But man, this was still so very good. That lemon aioli on top was key. And as is usually the case with powerhouse toast appetizers (I've had many), I was very sad when it was over. I'll just order 4-6 of these and call it a meal.
Roast carrot and avocado salad, crunchy seeds, sour cream and citrus: A
This is the first week it's really been feeling like fall, and this felt like a great transition. Summery with the avo, autumn-y with the carrot. Simply roasted, very warming. Liked the pepitas on top--added some lovely texture. Would've liked a tad more sour cream, but that's just me being nit-picky.
Black sea bass with chilies and herbs, baby market potatoes and spinach: A
Fresh and delicious. Nothing particularly notable but I love sea bass so I was happy with a perfectly-cooked piece of fish atop some yummy spinach.
Crispy pork confit, smoked bacon marmalade and braised turnips: A/A+
This dish was a lot smaller than expected (they advertised it as being a sizable plate) but otherwise, a sublime combo of ingredients--very well thought-out. The smoke bacon marmalade was pure crap and the greens underneath were super flavorful and held the sauce nicely. I very rarely eat mashed potatoes (I know I know, so sue me) but these were a worthy addition as well. Creamy and rich. Definitely our most decadent dish of the night, but not uncomfortably heavy. read more