Super Cool. Super Healthy. Super Sustainable. The Fat Radish is the place good for the tummy, the environment, and a few fashion tips. It may have grabbed NYC’s good-looking hipster crowd, but we feel it’s more important to note the efforts of sustainability here promoted by Head Chef Nicholas Wilber, who feels passionate about produce and puts importance on locally sourcing and establishing personal connections with suppliers. The cuisine is British inspired, not too homely, not to fine-dining, just the right amount of rustic, and oh-so nourishing. We sent Abi Fox to meet Nick and find out how tasting it is to be sustainable within the streets of LES, Manhattan.
Words by Jade McSorley
Tucked away in-between LES and Chinatown, you will find the quaint and rustically decorated restaurant, The Fat Radish. A british-inspired, sustainable menu that attracts a fashionable crowd, luring them with subtle candlelight and cosy ambience.
Every dish on the menu has a heavy focus on locally sourced vegetables, but do not be fooled into thinking that eating here will take you back to childhood memories of begrudgingly eating your boiled greens; The food here is incredibly creative and bursting with flavours, making healthy eating a treat to your palette (whilst the hot clientele is a treat for you eyes).
One of their signature starter dishes is the celery root, gruyere cheese and black garlic pot pie. A definite must and a perfect choice for comfort, with the added bonus of fresh vegetables remaining the star of the show.
As a native Brit living in NYC, I couldn’t resist the scotch egg, of course! One of my childhood favourites and a rare find in the streets of Manhattan. It was served with a seeded mustard with a spicy kick not for the faint-hearted.
My favourite had to be the lintel Dahl, mostly due to the heavy dose of my beloved cardamom. And you certainly cannot leave The Fat Radish without ordering their truffle parmesan duck fat chips (not one for the Vegetarians). Daringly I am going to say it... they were better than any tried in London.
Having tasted the intricately flavoured dishes served at The Fat Radish, this was proof that Head Chef, Nicholas Wilber (and one of the drivers behind Silverstone Hospitality) knows how to bring out the best flavours from nature’s bounty; An endeavour he takes serious within his cooking, to reinvent and inspire diners to be more creative, and to understand and appreciate good produce.
Everything about this restaurant: the food, the seasonally inspired cocktails, it’s atmospheric setting, will bring me back for health cravings and a touch of nostalgia. A green gem in NYC that satisfied this British girl living away from home.
Words by Abi Fox
FAT RADISH