The Gramercy Tavern Cookbook

Meyer (owner of Union Square Cafe Hospitality Group Restaurants and author of Setting the Table) and Anthony (former executive chef at Blue Hill at Stone Barns) have created a restaurant that epitomizes the concept of tavern as the crossroads of a neighborhood’s flavor, food, and folks. Their shared high standards for resourcing the freshest unprocessed and local ingredients have forged a partnership supporting the vision of an urban culinary community, and this cookbook presents recipes designed to bring the warmth of the Gramercy Tavern to the home cook. With fare that reflects the “buoyant tone” and “just dropped in” atmosphere of the tavern and dining room, the authors encourage cooks to approach their restaurant recipes as inspirational points of departure to produce dishes that “look great by virtue of the beauty of the ingredients.” Signature tavern cocktails are followed by recipes organized by season, from appetizers through main dishes to desserts. Spring features combinations of peas, ramps, pickled vegetables, and fish, along with a first-of-the-season berries rhubarb streusel tart with strawberry ice cream. For summer, there are chilled zucchini and corn soups, char and bass dishes, and heirloom tomato tarts; autumn showcases fresh pasta and grilled pole beans, chorizo, and mussels; and winter offers cured meats, roasted pork and big cookies for the holidays. Home cooks can now step inside the tavern kitchen with these 125 recipes. Agent: David Black, David Black Agency. (Oct.)