There's farm to table and then there's backyard to table, which could be the third wave locavore movement as modeled by Olmsted, a new restaurant that opened last night in Prospect Heights. Chef Greg Baxtrom, whose resume reads like the world's most qualified chef—Per Se and Blue Hill at Stone Barns are among his many experiences—and Ian Rothman, the "former horticulturist at Atera," are hoeing their own produce, herbs and spices in their gorgeous backyard garden, which helps populate the plates of the restaurant itself.
The green stalks in the Asparagus Salad ($11) with wheatgrass aioli? Those are from out back, as are the lemons for the potato dauphinoise that accompany the NY Grassfed Steak ($23). Fragrant flowering plants like lavender pop up in desserts like the frozen yogurt with lavender and honey, as well as in cocktails like the Lavender ($12), made with bourbon, herbs de provence, sherry and black walnut. Check out both full menus below.
If the name seems familiar, you need only look a few blocks south to Prospect Park, designed by one Frederick Law Olmsted, who's also responsible for Central Park. The pastoral theme continues with repurposed wood from the Bastrom family's barn at their home outside Chicago. But the backyard... that's where it's at.
659 Vanderbilt Avenue at Park Place, 718-552-2610, olmstednyc.com
