NYC news from the front: Organic eatery opens

By Samantha Chapnick

The sign on Gusto — a new New York City restaurant — read "Coming Soon" and "100% organic foods for New York."

The sign of almost any new indie restaurant is enough to get this New York gourmet’s blood pumping. With this one so close to my child’s school, and with the world "organic" thrown in, my anticipation went into overdrive.

Gusto finally opened a few weeks ago at 14th Street and Avenue of the Americas, a short walk from several New York hotels. We were there, and it was worth the wait.

We went for the organic gourmet pizza and lemonade. The first sign we
were getting something different was the slice’s ($5.95) almost defiant
9 x 6 rectangular shape. The crust was chewy and slightly sweet — a whole
wheat that’s somewhere between a pretzel and pita. A crosshatch of
slightly browned small mozzarella cheese straws with just an inflection
of tart olive oil and tomato sauce sat atop — a good contrast.

The lemonade ($3.75) was a perfect balance of fresh-squeezed lemons,
water and sugar — not too sweet, not too sour, and not too watered down
as so many are.

The service was excellent, with staff who were friendly, enthusiastic and
seemingly genuinely knowledgeable about the food and the company.

In time, we are hoping Gusto will expand beyond its current menu of
pizzas, empanadas, desserts and grilledsteak to include a wider
variety of grilled vegetables. Still, people looking for reasonably
priced (well, for New York, at least) healthy meal in a convenient and
contemporary setting should try Gusto.

The decor is Southwest, with brushed concrete floors and walls, rustic wood
tables and muted colors of nature. If it weren’t a restaurant, it might
make a nice yoga studio. Rumor has it, free wireless is on the way.

I’m
not holding my breath.

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Samantha Chapnick is a travel expert who lives in New York City.

Tagged: New York