ABC KITCHEN

ABC Kitchen was the destination last night with Phil (who I met at the brunch where Bono appeared). He strikes me as a genuinely nice person, which I'm not typically attracted to, but I am really attracted to him. He's tall, with brown curly hair, greenish eyes, and I finally figured out which actor he looks like...it's Tom Hanks! He's 38, passionate about food, a golfer, down to earth, ambitious, a good communicator, never before married, no kids (actually I will double check that), and Jewish like myself. It was a delicious meal complemented by great company.

ABC Kitchen is called ABC because it is located inside the enormous, gorgeous store ABC Home (Flatiron District). It's a green restaurant, specializing in produce from organic/local farms, and meats from humanely-treated livestock. It's a restaurant that is somewhat known for its difficult reservations. A Jean Georges restaurant, along with the name comes waits. Fortunately, Phil got us a res, so we didn't have to wait but a few minutes.

We ordered drinks at the bar while we awaited our table. Rather than following Phil's lead of ordering a lime/basil mojito, I preferred to go with wine. I wanted to go with a red but, because there was no grape varietal I was particularly fond of, I asked for a taste. I had just been chewing Orbitz Spearmint so the taste was distorted. I passed on the Cab, the Pinot, and then settled on the Tempranillo (if 3rd isn't a charm, you have to go with it or risk nasty looks from the bartender).

When relocated to our table, we entered a dining room of grand proportions, eons larger than I had expected from the entry. I felt momentarily transported outside Manhattan. With wooden beams strategically spanning wooden ceilings, the space had a cabin-like, countryside feel. Its hip exposed lightbulbs (all the new rave) seemed to foretell the no-frills nature of the restaurant. It felt like I was in someone's house (with tons of impostors).

From a quote on the menu, I was immediately alerted that this was a unique place: "Passionately committed to offering the freshest organic and local ingredients possible, presenting a changing menu that is locally sourced and globally artistic, rooted in cultivating a safe relationship with the environment and our table."

We started with 4 apps. 1) roasted beets with housemade yogurt. 2) line caught tuna sashimi marinated with ginger and mint. 3) sugar snap pea salad with parmesan dressing and herbs. 4) proscuitto and fontina wrapped asparagus.

Most dishes were served in deep bowls--bowls! How often do you eat from a bowl in a restaurant? (Unless it's soup) How often do you eat from a bowl in your kitchen? There's a great deal of satisfaction that comes with eating from a bowl. It's easy...and fun.

From the apps alone, you can see the emphasis on fresh, organic produce. The beets were fresh and juicy. Yogurt isn't a powerful enough mate for a beet. They would have been better paired with goat cheese.

The tuna was fresh, sashimi-grade, no complaints. The mint flavor, however, diverted my attention from the tuna. I usually like a light ponzu or even no-nonsense soy.

The sugar snap pea salad was perfection. Excellent dressing paired with all the freshest arugula and sliced snap peas, their contents strewn atop the salad for easy access separate from the pods.

The asparagus (one of the daily specials) was a flop. Way too salty. Never salt prosciutto! The salt + proscuitto + fontina had my blood pressure at all time highs. We were ready for another glass of wine. Because I hadn't liked the Tempranillo, and because my opinion of the other 2 reds was skewed by my Spearmint gum, Phil suggested I try the Cab again. Now it tasted better.

For our mains, we ordered the Wood Oven Roasted Maine Lobster with an Oregano/Lemon-Chili Vinaigrette, and the Cavatelli with Guanciale, Ramps, Spring Vegetables, and Pecorino.

We originally had ordered the Steamed Halibut with Roasted Maitake, Asparagus, and Spring Onion-chili Vinaigrette...but they were out of halibut, so we threw the lobster into the mix. Phil had wanted the clam pizza, but they had discontinued it (how dare they!)

We split both entrees. I love that Phil knows as much about food as I do. This is a first. Normally I'm schooling guys on food. With Phil, I may have been schooled-- He knew the definition of "ramps" (a variety of onion with a limited growing season). That's actually how we decided on that dish... I said, "Let's go with that because it's in season now." The founders of ABC Kitchen would endorse that reasoning.

The lobster was perfectly seasoned (just barely), leaving room for lemon to be squeezed on top. The consistency was a little tough, but that didn't bother me. I love lobster, even though I very rarely eat it. Lobster is filling, more like meat than like fish.

The cavatelli was served in the deep white bowls, an ABC signature apparently. Cavatelli reminds me of a German noodle called spaetzle. Doughy and dense, in an oval shape. The spring vegetables included the peas I loved from the apps. The pecorino added a kick to the dish. I actually preferred the pasta to the lobster. I wished the halibut and the clam pizza had been available.

The dessert menu came, and Phil asked about their ice cream cake. The waiter said they don't do ice cream cake anymore...2 for 2 :( Of the desserts on the menu, the Carrot Cake with Cream Cheese Buttercream sounded most tempting... But then I noticed the Rhubarb Almond Crumble Tart with Rhubarb Whipped Cream.

My indecisiveness landed us with both desserts... And then the chef magically produced a slice of ice cream cake... So we wound up with 3 desserts!

My favorite of the 3 was the carrot cake. Simple and good--2 words I'd use to describe ABC Kitchen at large. The cake itself was dense, tasting of freshly minced carrots and plump raisins. I could have consumed the cream cheese buttercream frosting in larger doses than provided on the perimeter of the cake. On top of the frosting were shavings of carrot--requiring such little effort, but careful attention to detail. Carrot cake is my sister's favorite. She will likely be envious at my discovering a new carrot cake worth trying.

My 2nd favorite was the ice cream cake. It was a housemade cake of vanilla ice cream sandwiched between layers of chocolate cake, and the slice of cake was set in a rich banana sauce. My least favorite dessert was, unfortunately, the rhubarb. Funny, as that was the dessert I was gunning for... I've had a fascination with rhubarb since experiencing it at Per Se (will post soon about my experience there).

It was a great experience at ABC Kitchen. It's a place worth promoting and revisiting.

The date was great. I loved Phil's company. He makes me smile. We were doing what we love most, eating, together. So nice to dine with someone who shares my passion for food.

Phil and I have a date on Friday.