Skip to content, or skip to search.
Skip to content, or skip to search.
Home > Restaurants >
|
18 W. 45th St.,
New York, NY 10036
|
Mon-Fri, 8am-8pm; Sat-Sun, closed
B, D, F, V at 42nd St.-Bryant Park; 7 at Fifth Ave./Bryant Park
$8.75-$19
American Express, Discover, MasterCard, Visa
Not Accepted
42nd St. to 54th St., Third Ave to Seventh Ave.
While Chef-Restaurateur Matthew Kenney’s name is not displayed inside FreeFoods, his green thumbprint is all over this bright lunch spot, a takeout venture dedicated to organic seasonal grub. The raw-food superstar behind Gramercy’s Pure Food & Wine doesn’t limit himself to vegetarian fare here: Along with designer salads channeling Kenney signatures like raw lasagna, there’s a create-your-own organic salad bar with curried shrimp and roasted shiitakes as add-ins, delicious pressed sandwiches made with free-range turkey, barbecued ribs of beef, or truffled fontina, and filling soups like a delicious tomato and manchego bisque. Kenney’s zeal for sustainability comes through in the atmosphere; that “plastic” cup on your tray is actually derived from corn. The vibe is Restoration-Hardware-boho, with pale green and white walls, and wood accents. Woven baskets are filled with organic brand-names for purchase, from Green & Black chocolate bars to Steaz soft drinks. All of this provides a welcome alternative in a neighborhood where deli sushi counts as health food. As with Kenney’s other ventures, clean living doesn’t come cheap, but that’s not scaring away the office crowds, who pack the place daily despite counter-only seating.
Recommended DishesFree-range turkey sandwich, $10.75; raw-food lasagna from seasonal market table, $14/lb.
Adam Platt picks 2011’s top dining destinations,
including Osteria Morini, ABC Kitchen, and M. Wells.
The best that the city’s restaurants have to offer:
grilled cheese, offal, breakfast taco, soba, and more.
We live in a city full of small cheap-eats miracles,
including meatballs, noodles, and food trucks.