David Burke's Fabrick

 
Every month or so I meet two of my best, lifetime friends for dinner in Manhattan.  It is the easiest place to meet, kind of a middle place for us all. As you'd imagine, meeting so often means not eating in the same restaurant all the time so we don't get bored with our meals. Since NYC has so many restaurants to offer, it's fun to mix it up and try new places.

For my friend Rachel's birthday we went to David Burke's Fabrick - an incredible restaurant in the Archer Hotel in the West 40's.  I am the only vegan among us, and I am always pleasantly surprised when restaurants that are mainstream are so accommodating.  The Assistant Executive Chef came to the table to meet me and tell me how thrilled he was to be challenged to make fabulous vegan food, beyond the pale of salads and cooked vegetables - and that was before he knew I was a blogger!

This menu boasted a million options for me, even if they had to be modified slightly.
In the "Mostly Veg" category they offered:

Rosemary flatbread with sea salt and olive oil

Mixed olives with marcona almonds
Roasted mushroom flatbread (leave off the cheese)
Kale and escarole salad with shaved baby vegetables in a citrus vinaigrette
Market salad with romaine and arugula, tahini honey dressing (I know some vegans will not eat honey,) crispy chick peas, olives, tomato and Persian cucumber (hold the feta)
Sweet pea mushroom pasta (hold the ricotta salata) with sundried tomato and calabrian chili
Roasted cauliflower steak with lemon farro and exotic aromatics

In the "Sides" category they serve:

Roasted summer squash, spring mushrooms, quinoa and green beans, chickpea fries, jar of house made pickles, and french fries.

I selected guacamole with house made plantain and tortilla chips - the vegan alternative they made for me in place of the avocado panna cotta and the chickpea fries - all of which we shared. Both were good but those fries were out of this world! Flavorful, a bit salty with a creamy texture...incredible!
The cauliflower steak, my entree, was spectacular. It was tasty, filling, and savory with the sweeter farro...I would go back for it anytime.
If you're in the mood for a cocktail, the names alone will intrigue:

Tequila Mocking Bird...Va Va Boom... Blonde Ambition... Blackberry Lime Rickey 

Fabrick is a sure "not to be missed" addition to your personal dining out guide. You'll thank me for recommending it to you.