Big Apple Eats :

Chefs are no longer confined to the kitchen . They are athletes, battling in competitive cook-offs, salesmen hawking their eponymous cookbooks, and bona fide celebrities with TV shows and adoring fans, branding themselves into marketing machines.  In the culinary capital of New York City, you can taste--rather than watch or read--their delicious nibbles firsthand at their restaurants. Here’s a recipe for where to sample these top chef’s creations - scattered about the city.

ABC KITCHEN 
Jean-Georges Vongerichten’s massive empire spans the gastronomic globe, from Southeast Asian to classic French cuisine.  At his latest venture, ABC Kitchen, he embraces the current trend towards organic, seasonal food while maintaining his signature high-class quality.   Inside the gorgeous, shabby chic dining room, natural details abound with rustic tables of reclaimed wood, vases filled with fresh-cut flowers and branches, and an exposed wood-beam ceiling.  In true Jean-Georges style, every last detail embodies this eco-mindedness: the nubby dishware is handmade by a Connecticut potter, the wine list offers organic and bio-dynamic selections, and the ingredients are locally-sourced as much as possible.  While the food is unpretentious, it is by no means basic.  Each dish is a showcase of farm-fresh flavor; comforting Cauliflower Soup, Crostini topped with Hermès-orange Kabocha Squash, and Mushroom Pizza topped with a fried egg, oozing a brilliant yolk so rich it could only come from a farm-raised egg.  While the vegetables will entice even the most carnivorous diner, there are plenty of animal-options, including a decadent Chicken Liver paté and Peekytoe Crab toasts.   Save room for dessert: the Salted Caramel Ice-Cream Sundae, with rich, hot fudge sauce, caramel popcorn, and salted peanuts is a yummy twist on a childhood classic.

Side Dish: ABC Kitchen is located in the legendary ABC Carpet & Home, a treasure trove of vintage, eco-friendly, and stylish furniture, home accessories, and, of course, carpets. Continue your locavore quest at nearby Union Square Greenmarket, a bountiful farmer’s market featuring an array of seasonal foodstuffs from fresh-picked fruits and vegetables to artisanal bakers and farmstead cheeses. . Open year-round on Mon, Wed, Fri, and Sat.

ABC Kitchen
35 E. 18th Street  NY, NY 10003
212.475.5829

THE BRESLIN
April Bloomfield has been credited with igniting the gastropub craze with her first endeavor, the highly-popular Spotted Pig.  Her second restaurant, the Breslin, equally excels at eats and quaffs, but it’s her lusty, snout-to-tail cooking that steals the show.  As you can see from the restaurant’s recent Michelin star, this isn’t your average pub fare, but a culinary take on what has lately been dubbed “carni-whore“ cuisine.  The menu teems with mouthwatering meats like house-made terrines, crispy sweetbreads, and juicy lamb ribs.  For the fish-lover, a wonderful seafood sausage delights.  There are nod’s to April’s British roots like Beef & Stilton Pie and Scrumpets, fried batons of breaded, tender lamb, have topped many “Best Bar Snack” lists about town.   Bloomfield boosts the ubiquitous burger by replacing beef with lamb.  Don’t be misled by the small size - this juicy ball o’ meat, topped with creamy feta and red onion, bursts with flavor.  The thrice-cooked fries are finger-licking good; adding an extra step to the classic double-fry Belgian method ensures that each bite is bathed in fat.  An addictive cumin mayo is equally yummy for potato-dunking or burger-spreading.   The Breslin looks as good as the food tastes;    rich, mahogany wood, tufted leather seatbacks, old-timey lamps, and antique mirrors create a vintage, pubby, European vibe.

Side Dish:  The Breslin is located in the Ace Hotel, a hipster boutique hotel with antique décor and whimsical flair.  While you wait for your table (the Breslin has a no-reservation policy), grab a cocktail in the happening lobby bar and snap a pic in the vintage photo booth.  Better yet, book one of the eclectically-furnished rooms so you can sample the Breslin's fare 24-7.

The Breslin
16 West 29th Street NY, NY 10001
646.214.5788

FRANKIES 457 SPUNTINO
Frank Castronovo and Frank Falcinelli--affectionately known as the Franks--are two local boys from Queens who have built a handful of restaurants through their shared love for community, old-school aesthetic, indie food purveyors, and quality, simple food.  Their first foray, Frankies 457 Spuntino, is located in Carroll Gardens, Brooklyn, a historically Italian-American neighborhood.  Not surprisingly, this charming joint serves homey, hearty Italian fare.   Frankies 457 is so comfortable that it feels less like restaurant and more like you are hanging at your friend’s apartment, albeit one who has that perfect pad with exposed brick and an ....