Ready or not, spring has sprung and menus, they are a-changin’, reflecting mother nature’s blooming bounty.
We’ve rounded up some noteworthy new dishes in the Big Apple. Here is what you need to check out this spring.
Boulud Sud
France’s Côte d’Azur, Spain, Italy, Greece, Morocco and much of the Mediterranean coast set the mood at Daniel Boulud’s seafood-driven restaurant near Lincoln Center. New to the spring scene includes a yellowfin tuna crudo with green asparagus and green onion tonnato and hand-cut stracci pasta with peekytoe crab, burrata, fava beans and sorrel.For weekend brunch, chef Travis Swikard is showcasing the season’s finest—Louisiana crawfish and morel mushrooms—in the goose egg omelette.
L’Appart
Hidden inside French food hall/mecca Le District in Brookfield Place, executive chef Nicolas Abello produces a constantly rotating tasting menu to ensure that diners will have a different experience each visit.Keeping in tune with the season, current hors d’oeuvres include morels with Vin Jaune and ramps and cuttlefish with heart of palm and squid ink, while quail with spring greens and rhubarb and beef with polenta and gremolata (pictured above) are new additions to mains.
Contra
“Offering six courses for $78, their prix-fixe is renowned not just for its ambition and creativity but also as one of the best values in town,” state inspectors of the two-Michelin-starred restaurant on Orchard Street. “While the menu format may be fixed, dishes change frequently to reflect the young chefs’ wide-ranging talents and contemporary flair.”Jean-Georges
A “Tastes of Spring” tasting menu is offered at Jean-Georges Vongerichten’s eponymous two-Michelin-starred restaurant in the Trump International Hotel & Tower. Guest’s tastebuds will be tantalized by yellowfin tuna ribbons with avocado, spicy radish and ginger marinade; Faroe Island salmon with artichoke and jade emulsion; Gulf shrimp with fiddlehead ferns, seed-yogurt dressing, soy butter and sprouts; as well as Madai sashimi with spring peas, buttermilk emulsion and herbs (pictured below).Aquavit
Executive chef Emma Bengtsson has revamped the menu at the two-Michelin-starred Scandinavian restaurant in Midtown. Diners will indulge in the Norwegian king crab and chamomile; squab and bergamot; and Spanish mackerel and potato (pictured below) on the chef’s tasting menu.The drinks list has also been revitalized to reflect the season; the Fons Lavandula, or ‘Spring Lavender,’ cocktail is made with with lavender Aquavit, lemon, honey and thyme.