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Although vegan and vegetarian food has become a big part of New York’s culinary world, back when The Butcher's Daughter opened in Nolita in 2012, plant-based diets were still a novelty.
Still operating its original cafe at 19 Kenmare Street on the corner of Elizabeth Street, the food empire has now officially expanded down the block. At 1,650 square feet almost double in size, the destination now includes a separate restaurant that features a beautiful cocktail bar, a remarkable pizza oven and a whole lot of sidewalk seating.
“This opening feels very momentous and full circle, especially on the heels of our 11th anniversary,” founder Heather Tierney said in an official statement about the debut. “To think this all started with a small juice bar a decade ago and to now be expanding to a full-scale restaurant, bar and market feels like a homecoming.”
To be clear, the juice bar that once was is still in place, albeit transformed into a plant-based bodega, superette and cafe that will be stocked with healthy snacks by a variety of brands, plus fresh flowers, pantry essentials and the sort of travel items that you'll probably carry around NYC in your purse for weeks.
Familiar favorites like the all-vegetable squash carbonara and the avocado toast will now be served at the next door eponymous restaurant alongside a number of other dishes like the pad Thai, a zucchini and pesto pizza, a mushroom “calamari” starter that just begs to be devoured and a very interesting-sounding hearts of palm “ceviche.”
The brunch menu is heavier on the carbs, of course: buckwheat pancakes and the jackfruit "crab" cake Benedict stand out from a pretty full menu that also includes quinoa and acai bowls and bakery items.
When it comes to the cocktails, the emphasis is also on all things veggie and "fresh."
The scotch-based Queen Bee, for example, is made with elderflower liqueur, lemon, truffle honey and bee pollen, while the Le Naturel Sangria features berry and citrus-infused pinot noir, tangerine, yuzu and more. You might want to opt for a “booze and juice” order, though: select your spirit and pair it from one of the many cold-pressed juices available. At $17, that’s might be your best best money-wise.
In case you're a more recent New York transplant or, perhaps, new to the whole plant-based world, and are wondering about the eatery's moniker: it is a half-joke.
"I created a story in my head [...] that if there was an old butcher today, his daughter would probably be a vegetarian because she grew up around all this meat and she's bored of it," Tierney said to Venue Report a while back. "She's really excited about vegetables!"
That concept of a “rebel” daughter is also the focus on the new menu, which features some dishes created by a group of women “with a rebellious spirit and activities in their respective fields,” according to a release. These include James Beard Award-winning chef and activist Sophia Roe and choreographer and dancer Kristin Sudeikis, among others.
Check out some photos from both the market and the new restaurant right here:
