Foragers Chelsea

Foragers Chelsea is the amalgamation of inventive food that has embraced the farm to table movement.  The seasonal menu highlights just about every locally grown seasonal vegetable and protein you could fathom.

Foragers started in Dumbo as a high quality/high end grocery.  The owners ran a farm in upstate New York but lived in Dumbo and saw the need for a local grocer.  By taking fruit, vegetables and herbs from its farm and purchasing meat from a nearby farm, the owners of Foragers Dumbo stocked their shelves with fresh local product.  Due to the popularity of Foragers Dumbo, the owners decided to bring the concept to Chelsea.

The Chelsea outpost also features a grocery with sensational nectarines and other locally grown fruits and vegetables.  It also includes a wine shop but we were so consumed by the food and the market we forgot to sneak a peak.  The highlight of the Foragers franchise is the Chelsea restaurant, run by executive chef Jason Greenberg.  Jason pulls ingredients from the grocery to prepare Asian fusion inspired dishes.

Foragers Chelsea's Asian fusion menu is a great meal for a group of people (of any size) because you can sample a large portion of the menu by sharing plates.  The presentation of each dish is a medley of colors and locally grown vegetables.

The Foragers Chelsea dining room strikes a balance of warm and trendy, so the restaurant works for a date or a night out with friends.  The wine menu features wine bottles from all over the globe and at various price points.  There is also an Asian inspired cocktail list.

What to Eat:

Because there were so many incredible starters, I will group them together.

Start with the Chicken Wings and the Short Ribs.  The seven spiced wings have a little kick, while the tender meat on the short ribs literally fall off of the bone.  And if you can handle the sweet heat, try the Panko Crusted Peppers.  One out of nine will knock your socks off so beware.  Tip, stay away from the seeds at the stem and dip the peppers in the cool meyer lemon creme fraishe sauce.

The Lettuce Herb Noodles are a must.  I hate lettuce but apparently if you put lettuce in noodle form, lettuce is delicious.  Or at least the lettuce noodles at Foragers Chelsea are delicious.  The noodles are prepared by taking vegetables in stock that day (e.g. escarole, argula) and blending them together with mint to make home made pasta noodles.  The noodles are tossed in a light coconut and oyster sauce and mixed with crispy shallots, fresh herbs and alfalfa sprouts.  Unfortunately readers, the lettuce noodles in this picture are mostly buried under the herbs and sprouts so you're going to have to take my word on this one.






For an entree, go with the Butcher's Steak.  Foragers buys its meat from a farm in upstate New York and butcher's the meat on the premises.  The result is a tender, high quality meat (it was so good we nearly devoured it before taking pictures).  The steak is generously coated in a maple and soy glaze so each bite literally melts in your mouth.











If you are not a carnivore, check out the Tea Smoked Black Cod.  The cod is cold smoked, which results in a slightly smokey taste, as opposed to hot smoked, which would have created a very smokey taste.  I loved the buttery cold smoked cod, which was placed on a bed of an edamame type salad.  And the gorgeous crimson sliced tomato on the side are topped with bacon (picture didn't come out, sorry guys!).

Foragers does not have a dessert menu yet but they do offer fantastic gelato and sorbet, which is my favorite way to end a meal on a warm summer's night. 

Looking for a night out at the next hot restaurant in NYC?  Check out Foragers Chelsea,

Your foodie friend

Insider tip:  If you don't have time to stay for dinner, pick up a rotisserie chicken from the grocery to take home. It makes for the perfect lazy after work dinner.  While at the grocery, you can pick up items like Burrata and vine rip tomatoes to make a cool side salad.