By Marina Starkey
The people of New York are becoming increasingly conscious about where their food comes from. When we’re talking comfort food, it’s more difficult to find out which sea your fried catfish swam in or what your pulled pork ate for dinner. Several places around the city, however, are cool with being transparent and that’s probably because their ingredients come from a sustainable and ethical source. Here are seven places guaranteed to warm your soul-food spirit and extend that goodness towards the benefit of the environment.
Roberta’s
We can’t talk about New York comfort food without first mentioning pizza. Roberta’s in Brooklyn is famous for their classic thin pizzas that somehow have a perfectly fluffy yet crispy crust. Sourcing all of their ingredients locally and crafting the likes of sausage and mozzarella in-house, their menu is unique to the seasonal local harvest. The cozy pizza shop also has its own garden located in the back of the restaurant. ‘Roberta’s Grows’ keeps track of everything growing in their backyard, and you can follow its progress at http://www.robertasgrows.tumblr.com.
Butcher Bar
Considering the lack of farms near the city that raise animals on an organic, grass-fed diet, it’s always impressive when a restaurant manages to source all of their artisanal meats locally. At Butcher Bar, the beef is grass-fed, the chicken is organic, and the pigs are heritage breed. Their finger-licking barbecue boasts meats raised without hormones and antibiotics. I suggest you warm up this winter with their Grass-fed Beef Chili and the PBLT Sandwich, made with brined pork belly. BBQ tastes so much better without the guilt.
Siggy’s Good Food
If you’re looking for a strict dedication to organic cuisine, Siggy’s should be your first go-to for lunch. Hoping to set the standard for organic comfort food, Siggy’s buys locally, crafting their menu with 100 percent organic, sustainable and whole-food ingredients. My eyes went straight for the Wild Salmon Burger (proudly touted with no fillers) and the Macaroni & Cheese made with whole grain spelt elbow pasta. What’s better is that nearly everything on the menu can be made vegan or gluten-free. And miraculously, they manage to achieve this at extremely fair prices.
The Farm on Adderley
If anybody knows how to bring the small country to the big city, it’s The Farm on Adderley in Brooklyn. Proudly serving farm-to-table cuisine, their menu consists of a variety of surprisingly inexpensive dishes to warm your soul any time of the day. For brunch, the Farm Omelet and Red Flannel Hash have us daydreaming of pigs freely roaming the countryside, while the Mushroom Tart with walnut purée and Butternut Squash Ravioli in brown butter get the secret vegetarian within me very excited.
Jacob’s Pickles
The only thing cooler than a man who makes his own pickles is a man who starts his own non-profit. The owner of the restaurant, Jacob Hadjigeorgis, started Jacob’s Digs to support, encourage, and maintain urban farming in NYC. So when you’re drooling over the Southern-style menu at Jacob’s Pickles, you can smile knowing that you’re doing some good too. Try the Fried Pickles (naturally) and the Sausage Gravy Smothered Chicken. The drooling, actually, may never cease.
ABC Kitchen
If you’re looking for something a bit more upscale, head over to this restaurant headed by celebrity chef Jean-Georges Vongerichten. ABC Kitchen offers a seasonal menu that is locally sourced and mostly organic. They align themselves with the sustainable farm-to-table movement, so you can be assured that everything served is free of pesticides, antibiotics, and hormones. If you don’t want to break the bank, go for brunch and order the Eggs Benedict with Flying Pigs Farm Ham — guaranteed to be the freshest around.
Pies n’ Thighs
Pies-n-Thighs is no stranger to recognition. Their brand has grown to a second location since published praise from the New York Daily News and Bon Appétit. And it’s not without cause — their mission is firmly rooted in the Slow Food organization that believes in “good, clean and fair food for all.” (Slow Food USA). Go to Pies n’ Thighs for the crispy Fried Chicken, Fried Catfish, and Smoked Pork Collards. Stay for the Bourbon Pecan Pie and Chocolate Peppermint Donuts.
Photo of mac n cheese via Shutterstock