The New York restaurant ABC Kitchen has been named Best New Restaurant at the prestigious James Beard Foundation awards. The farmhouse-style French menu restaurant may seem at odds in the middle of Manhattan, but it actually works quite well as it manages to straddle the fence between hearty, local, homestead cooking and cuisine worthy of a fine French chef.
The restaurant had an odd beginning, as owner Jean-George Vongerichten originally teamed up with ABC Carpet & Home, a department store that sells sustainable furniture from recycled and reclaimed wood, to open a sister restaurant. Like its retail partner, ABC Kitchen is focused around sustainability and using environmentally friendly practices. The restaurant itself features recycled beams from an old barn to add architectural interest, and the plates and bows are all made by local artists. The silverware and dessert dishes are antique rescues, and placemats and menus are made from recycled paper.