Heirloom

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Heirloom

Photo: Cititour.com

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Contact Info:

Address: 191 Orchard St (Houston & Stanton)
City: New York, NY
Zip: 10002
map: View the Map
Phone: (212) 228-9888
Email: andy@organicumbrella.com

Food Info:

Menu: View the Menu
Chef: Amanda Cohen
Cuisine: Vegetarian

Cititour Review:

When an interviewer asked noted chef, restaurateur, and vegetarian-cooking enthusiast Matthew Kenney how to interest meat eaters in veggie fare, he replied, "Offer them a setting that's sexy, warm, and inviting--and prepare food that's full-flavored and satisfying in a way they may not have experienced before." And when asked to name his favorite ingredients to work with, Kenney responded, "Fresh summer fruits--peaches, apricots, nectarines--and heirloom tomatoes." It should come as no surprise, then, that his new vegetarian restaurant on Orchard Street is absolutely sexy, warm, and inviting--or that it's called, in a reference to cherished artifacts and also great tomatoes, Heirloom. As chef de cuisine, Kenney has hired Amanda Cohen, formerly of TeaNY and Pure Food and Wine. We were greeted with smiles when we arrived for dinner, and the staff remained gracious, genuinely helpful, and seemingly cheerful throughout our stay. The primarily instrumental Euro-pop playing in the background, interesting but not intrusive, was at just the right volume. (At one point, a new CD came on slightly too loud; the fix was almost instantaneous.) The tables and booths, pleasantly spaced from one another, are flanked by elegant leaf-patterned sconces designed by the Dumbo design firm DForm. When we took our seats, we found sprigs of fresh rosemary tucked into our linen napkins. Marveling at the care taken even in tiny details, we started to love the place before we'd even began to consider what to eat. Instead of bread, astonishingly light jalapeño hushpuppies ("The best hushpuppies I've ever had, by far," my dinnermate said) were brought to the table, served with maple-mustard butter and creme frâiche with dill and chives. For appetizers, we enjoyed a hearty but not heavy carrot soup (poured at the table from a neat porcelain pitcher) and fantastic vegetarian sushi featuring avocado and persimmon. Our wine, a Thelema Sauvignon Blanc from South Africa, was just right. (The extensive wine list is all organic, as is 85% of the food menu.) For the entrees, the ravioli with olives was appealingly unfussy, and we were crazy for the well-seasoned polenta with tomato-poblano salsa (beautifully served with micro-fennel, chives, and cilantro scattered around the plate, giving the impression of a meadow). By this point a sort of spell had taken over; the physical charms of the restaurant combined with the quality of the food made it almost impossible not to feel relaxed, refreshed, and somehow generally optimistic. Note to future warm-weather visitors: A back room, the ceiling of which is a huge skylight, will soon be ready for seating; and though heaters are being installed, we can only imagine how lovely it will look and feel on warmer days (and nights). Likewise, a back garden promises to be a gorgeous spot--and perfectly in keeping with the nature's-abundance menu fare. For dessert, we shared a deeply yummy pizelle with rosewater ice cream and a honey-based sauce, lingering over soothing pots of tea (served in handsome cast-iron kettles) and in no hurry to leave (why would anyone be?). It seemed to us that Heirloom is not only a gem for New Yorkers but a perfect place to take visiting guests; its style, originality, quality, and vision (both culinary and ecological) represent the best of what this city can offer.

 

Review By: Pamela Grossman

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