Plate to Date: Graffiti’s Green Tomato and Sweet Onion Tartar
Graffiti Food & Wine Bar might be tiny, but its food is packed with an explosion of flavor. Located in the East Village, this eclectic restaurant is just as vibrant as its name suggests. Chef and owner Jehangir Mehta uses his inventive and progressive approach to cooking to draw out the strongest flavors in his international dishes. He combines Asian ingredients with French and American cuisine in order to create unique entrees that often feature fruit and spice. Mehta’s fresh approach to food has earned him the title as Next Iron Chef 2010 Runner-up and allowed him to open a second restaurant, Mehtaphor in the Duane Street Hotel. Among Mehta’s delicious dishes at Graffiti are the zucchini hummus pizza, pork buns, and green chili shrimp. To cap off one of these tasty entrees, try this week’s “Plate to Date” the green tomato and sweet onion tartar with mint ice and pomegranate jus. One of Mehta’s favorite desserts, the tartar perfectly blends the sweetness of the onion with the tart flavor of the green tomatoes.
Mehta also suggests trying Graffiti’s colorful basil cocktail that he personally calls, “a tantalizing, much awaited drink after a long day in a hot kitchen.” The cocktail consists of three separate layers – a chilled soup, bloomed basil seeds, and lychee lime gelee. The combination makes for a beautiful green drink that is guaranteed to liven your taste buds and satisfy your stomach.