Arguably the kosher world’s most journeyed chef, Jeff Nathan brings the fruits of his journeys back to Abigael’s. The luxury restaurant is a hub of international flavors in midtown.
Jeff Nathan is a very busy guy. Not only is he the master chef and owner of Abigael’s; a midtown edifice of everything kosher and delicious, he also has several side projects. In short, Jeff never sits still, and aren’t we lucky he doesn’t? Jeff helps develop products for Hain-Celestial, Trader Joe’s and Whole Foods. If you’ve had something tasty and natural lately, you may, very well have this guy to thank.
The best part of all of these separate endeavors, Jeff says, is being able to pull them all off together. “I love watching things work,” Jeff told me one afternoon over lunch at Abigael’s. I had the Chopped Asian Chicken Salad, a light, but filling dish that rendered the best of its ingredients; a perfect example of not only Abigael’s fare, but of the way its owner relates to the world. Jeff believes in finding the best in everything and bringing it all together. “It’s the thrill of the chase,” he says, finding the best ingredients and techniques to create exciting dishes. The chase never stops; Jeff is always on the hunt.
Jeff eats out four or five times a week, he travels the world in search of the best ingredients, he learns from his peers and attends trade shows. His greatest delight is putting it all together to create exciting food that defies the kosher stereotype. His work in the food development world gives him a chance to expand the kosher grocery market, while his restaurant challenges the paradigm of kosher dishes. Abigael’s shows the world that kosher doesn’t mean corned beef and Manishewitz wine. It also shows the world that gourmet doesn’t have to be complicated. Jeff told me, “I don’t know what ‘gourmet,’ is.” For a dish to be served at Abigael’s it doesn’t have to be elaborate, it just has to be great. In Jeff’s opinion, great food is made by understanding and respecting its components. Lots of fancy dressing doesn’t make a good salad, vine-ripe tomatoes do.
To learn more about Jeff’s concept of a great meal, my husband and I sat down for a tasting of Jeff’s favorite classic dishes as well as some exciting new offerings from the spring menu. We started with simplistic perfection – pepper seared tuna with ponzu sauce. Ponzu is a citrus flavored soy sauce used to accent the flavor of sashimi fish. Jeff’s ponzu is made in-house with lime, lemon, grapefruit and star anise and aged over 6 months to render the ideal flavor. I loved how the citrus played off the fresh flavor of the tuna and my husband enjoyed the bite of the pepper. Next we tried a sushi classic – spicy tuna. The Abigael’s version is jazzed up with scallion, avocado and a little bit of tempura crunch. The only way to wash down Abigael’s sushi was with some of their high quality Ginjo sake, served cold instead of hot to preserve the flavor.
Jeff puts a great deal of thought and energy into the details in order to present the best end result. Taking us from Japan to China on our culinary journey, we saw how worthwhile his efforts are. The bold flavor of Szechuan beef resolved on the palate to let the individual elements out to play. At the same time sweet and tangy with the zing of ginger, the tender marinated beef and crisp vegetables hold their own in this savory sauce. After the confident overtures of sushi and beef, the gentle and unassuming flavor of Thai sea bass was a natural progression. The delicate taste of coconut curry was refreshing and appetizing without being overwhelming, fresh scallions and sautéed bok choy were refreshing touches that make this the perfect spring or summer dish.
Next came one of Jeff’s favorite dishes – polenta. This versatile form of cornmeal can be served sweet as a breakfast cake or cereal or savory as an alternate mealtime starch. Abigael’s features Wild Mushroom Polenta as an appetizer. Dressed with truffle oil, thyme and sundried tomatoes, the polenta serves a simple platform to let simple, savory components shine. I can see why Jeff likes it so much.
Another of Jeff’s favorites is Abigael’s’ signature dish – the Barbeque Brisket Eggroll. Served with chipotle potato salad, this is a must-have. The eggroll is the superlative meat and potatoes. Sweet and piquant barbeque accents beef that has been slow cooked to the closest beef gets to melting while chipotle challenges everything you’ve ever thought about potato salad. If you go to Abigael’s and don’t try the Barbeque Brisket Eggroll, then you haven’t been paying attention to anything I’ve said. Try it! You owe me.
Brought into the savory world of western flavors, we next tried the Hangar Steak Au Poivre with cognac cream sauce and Twice Cooked Short Ribs. Both are aged for ultimate flavor. The Hangar steak presents a more aromatic, homey flavor while the sweet boldness of the short ribs recalls the simple pleasure of an outdoor barbeque. Rather than being tossed on the grill, however, Abigael’s’ short ribs are smoked for 8 hours and then roasted. The beef dishes were complimented with scallion mashed potatoes whose slight acidity served as a great palate cleanser between the strong flavors in the beef.
We finished off the meal with fondue. Because who can resist the opportunity to dip stuff in chocolate? Jeff says food should be fun and fondue is the ultimate in fun dessert. I left Abigael’s with a full belly and a new attitude about cooking. I learned that making good food isn’t about putting something impressive on a plate; it’s about the creative process and enjoying the journey from the grocery store to the dinner table.
For the Nathan family running a restaurant isn’t a career destination, it’s a life. Jeff’s wife Alison (not Abigael – the restaurant got its name from a former business partner’s other venture – King David’s) is now the marketing director of Abigael’s. She has watched the restaurant and her role in it evolve over the years. Now, more than ever she appreciates the dynamic nature of Abigael’s. When they first began, newspaper advertising was paramount. Now, the internet has changed the game. Alison told me that when they offered a coupon on the social purchasing network, DealFind, it sold out before the day was over.
With spring approaching, Abigael’s has added new menu items and Alison already has a favorite “The sliders. They’re different every night. I think I’ve tried a dozen of them already!” The ever-changing sliders are joined by new dishes like Veal Chops in a pearl onion Marsala and Everything Salmon – inspired by bagels with lox. Alison said it was hard to make the changes, but the most popular items will remain alongside the new ones. Variety is the spice of life, and Abigael’s proves they know just the right balance of spice to add jazz things up.
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