Spring Has Sprung

Ah, Spring. The flowers are blooming, the sun is shining, and we can finally put away that puffy down coat for good. But for many of us out there, the most exciting part about Spring is the arrival of Spring produce at our local greenmarkets. The sighting of the first ramp at the Union Square greenmarket brings a level of excitement to the food community as we know that it means that we'll start to see them, along with asparagus, fiddlehead ferns, zucchini blossoms, and more, starting to grace the menus of restauarants around the city. The New York Post highlights some restauarant dishes that showcase the Spring bounty, and Aureole has developed an entire menu focused on rhubarb (pictured), an ingredient that is often relegated to dessert. During the 7-course dinner (or 4-course lunch), you'll find rhubarb tucked into ravioli, as part of the crust on striped bass, as a sorbet, and more. Dinner is $89 per person, or $150 paired with wines, lunch is $35, or $65 with wines, and a vegetarian version is available. 34 East 61st Street, between Park and Madison Avenues. Call (212) 319-1660 for reservations.

Know of any other Spring menus out there? Please let us know about them. And for a weekly report on the Union Square, visit Lucy's Greenmarket Report.