New York’s Slow Revolution

The dizzying Manhattan restaurant scene just got a little bit calmer.

Slow Food NYC, a branch of Slow Food International, has come up with a way to recognize local establishments who embody the Slow Food ideals of quality, authenticity, and sustainability.

Restaurants, bars, and markets that meet their standards are given the Snail of Approval, and Slow Food members can nominate their own favorite restaurants that measure up. Here is a smattering of the new snail inductees in Manhattan and Brooklyn, with a peek at their menus:

• Craft: Octopus and avocado purée
• Lupa: Skirt Steak with cipolline and peppers
• Hearth: Roasted lamb with lamb sausage, buttercup squash, and chanterelles
• Applewood: Grilled Vermont goat with curried chick peas, tomatillos, and lemon yogurt
• Franny’s: Buffalo mozzarella, garlic, and oregano pizza

In addition to preparing sustainable meals, Applewood, in Brooklyn, uses meats free of hormones and antibiotics, and they go so far as to butcher some of their animals on-site to ensure quality. And one of IT’s favorite haunts, the Brooklyn Brewery, also got a snail seal; Brooklyn uses 100 percent wind-generated electricity to make its brews, including the yummy brown ale, a blend of six roasted malts. 

Next time you’re in the Big Apple, seek out the snail!