It is hard to find a location in Manhattan that has a bad location when it comes to the beauty that makes up the concrete jungle of our city. Few though, really have that added benefit of overlooking a gorgeous body of water and bridge as an added benefit to what makes their place so unique in the first place. Not to mention really great food on top of it. I discovered all of this, and so much more, when I stopped by the amazing Industry Kitchen last night.
Industry Kitchen is located on South Street, a mere 4 minute walk from the Wall Street stop on the 2/3 train, which adds convenience to a ton of other attributes this restaurant has to offer. South Street is notably known for its “Seaport”, featuring a ton of great places to shop, eat and overlook the gorgeous East River. What’s great about Industry Kitchen is that in an area as busy as it is, its sort of a standalone on its way to several other places in downtown Manhattan, and is a great location for the after work crowd, not to mention a nice night with a date, friends or family.
Only being opened for a year now, Industry Kitchen seems to be thriving in many different ways, as it was packed by the time me and my friend arrived at 6:15 PM last night. Even though there was an overcast with the weather, you can’t deny just how gorgeous the view is from the restaurant, as that is a selling point and so much more. It added to the overall experience that we had, which was fabulous to say the least.
The decor was par for the course with the area, with wooden tables for al fresco dining, which works perfectly for the weather that we are having now. With al fresco (outside) dining being a big thing this time of year in Manhattan, this was the perfect spot to feel the wind blow through your hair while dining and dishing with your besties.
Owner and entrepreneur Abraham Merchant had this to say about his latest venture- “Keeping up with an industrial setting, the open space and vision of Industry Kitchen is modern and sleek and represents the renaissance of downtown NYC. The team at Merchants Hospitality and I wanted a casual fare menu that focuses on seasonal market ingredients and enriched flavors, while having a stylistic feel that is contemporary yet distinct.”
The food was a plethora of spice, taste, flavor and so much more. Mixing modern American cuisine with seasonal flavors, Industry Kitchen scored a ton of brownie points with its execution of each dish that it created. To start off, I recommend their Corn, Clam & Yellow Squash Soup, with clam cake and roasted poblanos. Regardless of how hot it can get outside, it tends to be a bit cooler where the restaurant is due to it being by the water, so a hot soup like this is a perfect fit and starter for what’s to come. The combination of all the flavors in one really melded together and made for one great soup. For those who love Avocado’s, their Avocado Toast with tomato, basil, feta and jalapeno is another great starter dish. I never thought of pairing feta and avocado together, but they really sang well with each other and made for a great bite.
Another great starter was their Seasonal Grilled Cauliflower Steak, which came drizzled with pecorino and caper lemon relish. The model of it looked amazing and it really was a great dish to dine on, given the taste of the cauliflower with everything else. For those who are veggie-heavy, their Blistered Shishito Peppers are a great option, as they provide a ton of flavor and heat to them, but not to overwhelm your palate.
We opted to try two of their amazing Wood Fired Pizzas, given how delicious they looked at other people’s tables before we were seated. The two that we tried, and highly recommend, are the Margherita with crushed tomato, fresh mozzarella and basil, as well as their Herbed Goat Cheese with arugala, goat cheese, wild mushroom and truffle oil. In order for a Margherita pizza to really sing, the tomato sauce has to be done very well, and they did this and so much more. For the latter, the mixture of the mushrooms, truffle oil, arugala and goat cheese really made for a tasty slice to gorge on.
To finish off the meal, they have a bevy of desserts that really are a great way to end your time there. Their Chocolate Pudding, Peach & Apricot Buckle & Greek Yogurt Cheesecake are all divine in their own ways, rich, tasty, flavorful, and a damn good time. Highly recommend trying each the next time you go.
Overall, I had a great time at Industry Kitchen and would recommend anyone going the next time they are in the South Street area. For more information, check out their official site.