One name was all it took for me to immediately say yes to this week’s lunch invite: Jean Georges. A man who needs no further introduction. He is the man behind ABC Kitchen and ABC Cocina, two of the best restaurants in New York City. abcV is located right next to its sister restaurants and has the same pristine, beautiful vibe. From the ambiance to the food to the cheery waitstaff, abcV’s entire dining experience was incredible and will have you wanting to come back in no time for more…
The menu is vegan/vegetarian, and the entire menu is gluten-free except for four items! The spinach spaghetti (which I was bummed about), barley soup, ramen, and broccoli all contain gluten, but that’s only four items of the large menu! Any item that has bread, like the sandwiches and dips, can be replaced with gluten-free bread. To start, my friend and I ordered the squash dip with gluten-free bread in place of pita, avocado lettuce cups, and whole roasted cauliflower. The avocado lettuce cups were light and flavorful, and perfect for the avocado lover. My favorite dish of the meal was the whole roasted cauliflower. Served crispy on top of seeds and pomegranate seeds and with tahini sauce and lemon on the side, the cauliflower was outstanding. For my main, I went with the Market Vegetable Chopped Salad on top of sticky rice and avocado. The salad was light and perfect for a lunch main course. Other gluten-free dishes I am dying to try are the Ancient Grain Pilaf served with baby turnip, hazelnut, avocado, lemon, and crunchy sorghum, the roasted carrots, and the sautéed leafy greens. Lastly, you can’t go to a vegan (and basically gluten-free) restaurant and not check out the dessert menu! My friend and I ordered the vegan chocolate mousse served with gluten-free vanilla wafers, and it was heavenly.
abcV opened just this past week and is already the talk of NYC. Better start trying now for those resos; I have a feeling they are going to be pretty tough to get! If you are in the mood for a quick salad or abcV fix, a salad bar and bar are situated at the front of the restaurant for quick orders and more casual dining. I will absolutely be back again!