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JANUARY 2020
Some restaurants seek novel ways to engage diners’ minds, offering
to not only nourish but also de-stress, unwind, and relax: places like
Molly’s Rise and Shine in New Orleans, where guests can tinker with a
serious array of Mr. Potato Head toys, or Flight Club in Boston, where
culinary director Rick Gresh serves up flatbreads and dumplings while
guests play a futuristic game of darts designed by a NASA engineer.
We’re especially in love with Miami’s Laid Fresh, where tables are
strewn with Lego bricks and headphones dangle from the ceiling,
waiting to stream playlists that range from rock to relaxation.
MATZO BALL REMIX
NEW YEAR, NEW SNACKS
MIND FOOD
While it might seem impossible to compete with your bubbe’s matzo
ball soup, these chefs’ riffs on the tried-and-true cold-weather classic
are worth writing home about.
CHEU NOODLE
BAR
(PHILADELPHIA)
Thick slices of bris-
ket make this bowl
especially indul-
gent, and a kick of
kimchi in sesame–
red chile broth
adds just the right
amount of heat.
DIRT CANDY
(NEW YORK CITY)
Amanda Cohen
crafts matzo balls
from kale puree
to serve in an her-
baceous broth of
fennel, kale, ginger,
dried shiitake mush-
rooms, and celery
(shown above).
At Pop Up Grocer’s highly antici-
pated stop in New York City this
past fall, founder Emily Schildt
invited curious grazers to roam the
shelves of her traveling grocery
store. We chose a few of our favor-
ite offerings from the 150 emerging
natural food brands featured, but
if you want to sample the whole
spread, Schildt’s pop-up has its
sights set on Los Angeles, Denver,
and Austin this year.
DADA CHEESY CAULIFLOWER
POPCORN FLORETS
Next time you head to the movies,
skip the concession line and reach
for these delightfully cheesy florets
that melt in your mouth. ($29 for a
6-pack, dadadaily.com)
PAN’S APPLEWOOD BBQ
MUSHROOM JERKY
Portobello burgers earned the
meat-alternative stamp of approval
years ago, and this sweet, sticky
mushroom jerky is shiitake’s
moment in the snacking spotlight.
($9, mushroomjerky.com)
NEMI HOLISTICKS CHILI
TURMERIC
For the snack enthusiast who
craves a bit of spice, these
turmeric-and-chile straws made
of amaranth and cactus are sure
to hit the spot. ($23 for a 6-pack,
neminative.com)
BOHANA HIMALAYAN PINK SALT
POPPED WATER LILY SEEDS
Nadine Habayeb and Priyal Bhar-
tiya drew from their Indian roots to
bring popped water lily seeds to the
U.S., and we like to use these bite-
size balls in place of croutons. ($25
for a 6-pack, bohanalife.com)
JUNE’S ALL DAY
(AUSTIN)
Ward off the winter
blues with June’s
matzo ball soup
studded with pep-
pered avocados,
corn, and poached
chicken drumsticks.
It’s just what the
doctor ordered.
RAMEN-SAN
(CHICAGO)
At Ramen-San’s
Streeterville loca-
tion, a mash-up of
Japanese fish ball
soup and Jewish
penicillin uses miso,
ginger, wakame,
and sesame to
make matzo balls.
Chill Out Winter wellness trends
on our radar By Oset Babur
TRENDSPOTTING
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