Inspired curated chef-driven plant-forward menu development is going on!
In New York City’s Silicon Alley, you’ll find Cure’s new, state-of-the-art headquarters at 345 Park Avenue South. Cure is a healthcare innovation campus where leading life science, digital health, and tech-enabled companies from around the world come together to uncover cutting-edge solutions for those in need. Cure provides laboratories, engineering and computing space, and other supportive services to help today’s thought-leaders build a better tomorrow.
To keep these thought-leaders in good health day by day, Cure’s NaCl Café offers a tempting variety of readily available plant-forward dishes. And to keep dining at the café or ordering takeout enticing, Executive Chef Mike Smith works collaboratively with Barbara Younger, Cure’s Food and Beverage Director, to create delicious, nutritious meals that please diverse palates.
Chef Mike joined Cure in November 2021, trained at The Culinary Institute of America (CIA), and worked in NYC’s top restaurants. He joined Restaurant Associates (RA) in 2008, starting at the Metropolitan Museum of Art before joining The New York Times. Chef Mike returned to The CIA where they partnered with RA for their student dining commons, The Egg. There he collaborated with students and faculty to introduce Menus of Change Principles into all student-dining programs.
I had the opportunity to sit down with Chef Mike to ask him about his approach to menu development at Cure’s NaCl café. In addition to the café, Chef Mike also prepares tempting refreshments for Cure’s special events, including their popular Tuesday Talks, hosted by Cure CEO Seema Kumar, and held in the event space of Cure’s Rooftop terrace with incredible city views.
First, for the sake of TFS readers, could you clarify the definition of plant-forward based on Menus of Change, which you helped introduce at The Culinary Institute of America’s student dining programs?
I define it as making it easy to fill your plate with whole grains and vegetables before finishing it with an impactful and well sourced protein. Our Market Bowls are a great example, it’s always encouraging to watch the residents graze and fill their bowls with veggies, greens and grains before finishing with a simple protein.
Could you explain how you and Barbara work together to develop the menu at NaCl?
Barbara has known most of our residents for many years and I’m fortunate to have someone with her finger on the pulse of the community here. From the beginning her guiding principle has been for us to find a balance between “Wellness” offerings and comfort food. What that means has continued to evolve and our process incorporates all the feedback Barb gets as well, as comments and suggestions we receive from Resident Polls each week. And of course, we also have all the great programs that Restaurant Associates and Compass provide to us.
Where do you find inspiration and ingredients for creating inventive plant-forward breakfast and lunch menus at NaCl?
I think the main source of inspiration is always our purveyors and the seasonal ingredients we have access to. A very close second is the conversations the team here has every day with our guests. I think it’s important to point out here that “Plant Forward” does not always mean vegan or vegetarian. We try to take everyone’s ideas and suggestions and see how we can add some whole grain options, feature an extra vegetable or two to the plate and choose the protein to be impactful and compatible with the grains and vegetables it’s served with.
Can you name and describe one of your most inventive plant-forward creations that’s popular with Cure residents dining at NaCl?
I can’t take any credit for the most popular plant-forward dish that we serve here, it came out of our celebration of Women’s History Month and all the credit goes to Jane Goodall! Her recipe for Vegan Banana Pancakes with Berry Syrup has been a big hit and it is constantly being requested. Another great find for us during the Women’s Month celebration was a dairy-free “Creamed Spinach” dish from Michele Obama.
Can you describe your Wednesday Chef’s Table events and how you involve Cure residents in them?
The themes for our Wednesday Chef Table can be ingredient-related or focus on a Diversity Celebration, but the items that have been received with the most interest have been dishes inspired by conversations and suggestions from the residents. Just this past week we celebrated the food of Rome, Italy for a resident that was craving the flavors of home. It was a wonderful, seasonal dish of Roasted Lamb with Dandelion Greens and Roman-style Steamed Artichokes with Garlic and Mint!
