TRIBECA — A dish made up entirely of carrots is on the menu at the soon-to-open Washington Market Tavern on Murray Street.
The restaurant aims to highlight the simple flavors of seasonal and locally sourced produce, including yellow, purple and orange spring carrots from upstate New York's Blooming Hill Farm, said chef Aksel Theilkuhl.
The organic carrots are prepared eight different ways — roasted, grilled, butter poached, raw, pureed, slow roasted, fried and even dehydrated — and then plated together for a colorful spread.
“We are very focused on having the best, local ingredients,” said Theilkuhl, 30. “It’s the driving force behind what we’re trying to do here — a modern interpretation of an American tavern.”
Here are some other restaurants to try out:
► Big Smoke Burger at 70 Seventh Ave. in Chelsea
► Chéri at 231 Lenox Ave. in Harlem
► The Ugly Duckling at 166 Smith St. in Cobble Hill
► Luke's Lobster at 207 E. 43rd St. in Midtown East
► Kitchen 79 at 37-70 79th St. in Jackson Heights
Prices will range from about $14 to $45 for most of the menu items, which include many shareable plates. The bi-level, 4,500-square-foot eatery is slated to open in landmarked 41 Murray St. on July 21.
The menu will change with the season, but other veggie dishes that will be offered initially include roasted baby beets with a charred onion vinaigrette and whipped goat cheese with candied walnuts.
Larger plates include a 28-day dry-aged New York strip steak for $45 and lamb loin for $36.
The restaurant will also offer a variety of cocktails featuring seasonal ingredients, like the Chelsea, a mix of vodka, lavender, rosewater, elderflower liqueur and chamomile syrup.
"This is elegant, refined food, but in a relaxed atmosphere," said Theilkuhl, who led the kitchens at restaurateur Laurent Tourondel's BLT restaurants for the past several years.
"We're sourcing the best product we can, working with local farms, and that's what we're showcasing in each dish."