LONG ISLAND CITY — Here's something to sink your teeth into.
A Long Island City restaurant will soon celebrate all things tomato in an upcoming festival — serving up dishes such as tomato balsamic sorbet and refreshing drinks such as a tomato water martini.
Between Sept. 3 and Sept. 9, Alobar, famous for its house-cured charcuterie, will instead focus on dishes made with the fruit.
Tomato is a key ingredient in many recipes and the restaurant decided to celebrate "the tomato season and the spirit of the harvest," said Katie Allen, a restaurant's representative.
Chef Ian Kapitan whipped up a set of creative new dishes, which will be made with locally grown tomatoes, mostly bought from Paffenroth Gardens in upstate Warwick, a farm that has also come to the Union Square market.
During the festival, Alobar will be offering a rotating menu of dishes including Tomato Watermelon Salad, Crab Stuffed Roasted Tomatoes and Grilled Wild Salmon Summer Vegetables stewed in tomato water.
Among the other unique dishes are Tomato Bread and Jam, Tomato Fondue, Spicy Tomato Shorba Soup and Tomato Balsamic Sorbet.
Matching drinks, like Tomato Water Martini and Freshly Squeezed Yellow Tomato Bloody Mary, will be served.
The "tomato feast" will cost $30 per person for two courses, including a cocktail or a glass of wine.