Cider-soaked hay? Wild mountain cumin and sumac yogurt? Celery broth? This is new-ingredient territory for Stephen Starr, the Philadelphia-based uber-restaurateur who kicked off the summer by reopening classic French bistro Pastis with Keith McNally and lists Le Coucou, Clock Tower, Upland and Morimoto among his successes.
His latest project, Electric Lemon, will be unveiled among Hudson Yards’ restaurants Thursday, on the 24th floor of Equinox Fitness’ new hotel, which explains the atypical health-conscious fare.
Chef Kyle Knall’s mid-Atlantic menu focuses on seasonal ingredients from local farmers, fisheries and artisans, prepared in a light, clean style. Reps tell The Post that 85 percent of offerings are gluten-free.
Whole-roasted trout at Electric LemonJason Varney
Lightish bites include oysters with the aforementioned hay (for a smoky, aromatic flavor), whole roasted trout with “green things from the garden” (as the menu puts it) and Hudson Valley steelhead trout in something called “tomato water.”
There’s nothing so decadent as Le Coucou’s fried veal head or foie gras, but meat lovers can sink their teeth into lamb with roasted eggplant, wild mountain cumin and yogurt flavored with sumac, a tart Mediterranean spice. There’s also soft egg crepes with beef tartare, sorrel and smoked oyster sauce. Nonna-style pasta is nowhere to be found, but a gluten-free chickpea variety with sungold tomatoes, shishito peppers and basil might scratch the carb itch.
Chef Kyle KnallElectric Lemon
“It is geared to the lifestyle of people who are staying at the hotel and working out at the gym,’’ says Knall of the menu. “We are thinking about cooking responsibly and using the appropriate amount of fats and protein.”
The Rockwell Group-designed restaurant is meant to be social: The bar area has lounge chairs and there’s an expansive terrace with stellar river views and couches. Shareable dishes like flatbread made from gluten-free flour, potatoes, flowering broccoli and shaved sheep’s milk cheese are encouraged there.
If you typically order a beer, the cocktails might give you pause: One has a base of hibiscus juice and mezcal; another contains a syrup made from leftover snow pea shells. But the chefs hope you won’t get too caught up in the menu’s healthy hype.
“Most importantly, it is flavorful to the core,” says Knall.
33 Hudson Yards; 212-812-9202
