Starbucks is frothing out the pumpkin spice lattes, and every deli’s beer fridge is stocked with the autumnal foliage of seasonal brews. But there really is nothing like tucking into a warm plate of food to help you shake off the chill of early fall. New York chefs are happy to oblige with dishes using their favorite fall ingredients (pumpkin spice need not apply).
Chef Charlie Brassard
Cafe Colette
79 Berry St., Brooklyn
347-599-1381
Serving it with charred lamb ribs, Brassard uses crunchy autumn kohlrabi in his tzatziki to balance out one of his favorite fall dishes. Kohlrabi can be tough, so Brassard tenderizes it with salt and sliced garlic before blending it with the chopped mint, lemon juice, salt and greek yogurt that round out the earthy flavors of the lamb.
Chef Joe Dobias
JoeDoe
45 E. First St.
212-780-0262
Dobias adds a little fall color to his plate with Adirondack red potatoes. He uses them for their sweet flavor, which blends well with the garlic, hazelnuts, lemon juice and olive oil in his Greek potato dish, skordalia, which he serves with lavash bread.
Chef Cesare Casella
Salumeria Rosi Parmacotto
283 Amsterdam Ave.
212-877-4801
For Casella, radicchio is much more than a salad ingredient. Casella likes using it in the cooler months, slow-cooking it to perfection in olive oil, chicken stock and balsamic vinegar so that it becomes a versatile vegetable stew that can be served over polenta or pasta or mixed in with risotto.
Ryan McLaughlin
The Vanderbilt
570 Vanderbilt Ave.,
Brooklyn
718-623-0570
To McLaughlin, nothing complements the cooler weather better than a hearty dish with greens, pork and a fried egg. Kale is McLaughlin’s favorite, which he uses in a salad topped by some soft, delicious pork belly and the runny yolk of a fried egg.
Michael Cressotti
The Mermaid Oyster Bar
79 MacDougal St.
212-260-0100
The fall months are the best for catching Alaskan King Salmon, which Cressotti likes to use because of its textured, delicate flavor. Cressotti pairs it with sweet, in-season heirloom beets and spicy horseradish vinaigrette. Bonus: Pop into any of Cressotti’s locations and with each King Salmon you order, $2 will go to protect Alaskan fisheries.
Jimmy Bradley
of The Red Cat and The Harrison
Red Cat: 227 10th Ave., 212-242-1122
The Harrison:
355 Greenwich St.,
212-274-9310
It looks like spaghetti, but it tastes like squash: Bradley uses spaghetti squash
in a variety of ways in the fall. He considers its slightly sweet, nutty flavor a perfect accompaniment to hearty fall offerings like roasted meats and foul.
Chef Manuel Trevino
Marble Lane restaurant
355 West 16th St.
212-229-2336
It’s the season for the Asian pear, so Trevino perches it atop his tuna tartare appetizer. It adds a little crunch to the dish, with the added bonus of making it look pretty for his artsy, fashion-conscious clientele.
