The New York gastronomic revolution will be feminine or it will not be
The kitchens of the world have always been linked to women, but only in the private sphere. Today more and more women are taking the initiative to offer your creativity in front of the stove in the public sphere, and ** New York is one of the epicenters ** of this trend.
A recent study confirms that the Big Apple has more restaurants owned and operated by women than any other city in North America. Here you have five of the best ones to make your mouth water.
BESSOU
The meaning of this word in Japanese has little to do with 'kiss', although it is pronounced almost the same.
The term refers to a holiday House, a home away from home, which is exactly what Maiko Kyōgoku wanted to create in the bustling bleecker street of New York: a corner where to appreciate the Japanese culinary traditions that she learned in the her mother's kitchen.
Millenary tradition and pop culture
Bessou does not stop there, but also offers an imaginary that mix that ancient tradition with contemporary pop culture, heritage of Maiko Kyogoku's work with the artist Takashi Murakami, that she has collaborated among others with Kanye West or Louis Vuitton.
Thus, both its seasonal menu and the decoration of the restaurant, offer from nods to a japanese house until millimetrically organized shelves in the style of the artist's studio.
To taste, from clams boiled in miso, going for 'ichiyabosi' sardines, with walnut pesto, even the classic and delicious tempura with udon-type noodles.
To end the visit, a cocktail of Bamboo , a Japanese drink with origins in the 19th century that mixes sherry, vermouth and bitter orange.
Maiko Kyogoku's Kitchen on Bleecker Street
LIQUOR STORE
If we talk about the empowerment of women, in the Harlem Winery we not only find a team run by women (the chef Mimi Weissenborn , the manager of the bar Ashley LugoBrown and the wine consultant Chelsea Carrier ) but a group that prides itself on promote other entrepreneurs, through its focus on women-led wine companies.
It is said that the Vinería is one of the best places in New York to taste a rosé... on the summer terrace, of course, accompanied by any of their Hispanic and Italian-inspired dishes.
One of the best places to taste a rosé in New York
PRUNE
A list of good women-run restaurants in New York would never be complete without Prune. Opened in 1999, the kitchen of Gabrielle Hamilton is adored for its intense flavors and its tiny, relaxed space in the middle of the East Village.
In 2009 Hamilton was nominated for best chef by the James Beard Foundation (the equivalent of the Oscars in the world of American gastronomy) and in 2011 she won the award.
The owner of the restaurant has published various cookbooks, among them the successful Blood, Bones & Butter (Blood, Bones and Butter), and for 2019 she is preparing the publication of a new memory, coinciding with the 20th anniversary of the opening of Prune.
Getting a table takes time, so you have to book in advance.
Gabrielle Hamilton prepares the publication of her second book for 2019
OF MARY
Among the latest to join the kitchens run by women in the Big Apple is De María, a contemporary space in one of the most chic neighborhoods in the city, Nolita.
With only one year of life, De María has just received the award for best designed restaurant (also the work of two women: Anna Polonsky and Amy Morris ) from the James Beard Foundation.
Its essence, fruit of the collaboration between the gastronomic director Camille Becerra and the music producer Grace Lee, responds to her faith “in the power of women united, especially at a time when they are their own advocates for their needs,” Lee said in the New York Times.
One of the most chic restaurants in the trendy neighborhood, Nolita
The latest addition to the squad has been Venezuelan chef Adriana Urbina, that in just a couple of months she has been able to bring touches of her country's cuisine to the menu, while organizing meetings with women interested in creating their own business to support them.
“I want De María to have a real community space”, says Urbina, that despite her youth she has already worked in kitchens like the one in Martin Berasategui in Spain.
“It was an incredible experience that made me improve as a person and as a cook”, she recalls, aware of the double effort she has had to make throughout her career. as a woman, immigrant and Latina to be respected.
Adriana Urbina, the latest addition to De María