The modest radish has gotten a raise in profile recently, thanks to creative chefs. A root vegetable that dates back thousands of years, the radish hasn’t been highly revered in American cuisine (see Wind, Gone with The) – until now . This speedy growing garden staple is a spicy, crunchy delight and has moved beyond mere garden marker and salad ingredient to stand-alone star of many dishes. One of my first fine dining experiences featured a tray of crudités that included some ruby radishes. I took a bite of one, and realized it was the second hottest thing I’d ever eaten (The first was a spoonful of Chinese mustard that my jokester brothers conned me into eating!). My tongue burned, I winced, and I didn’t touch a radish again for at least a decade. Now, my palate has expanded, and so has our choice of radish; beyond just the ubiquitous red radish, chefs have embraced many heirloom varieties, including black, French breakfast, icicle, and watermelon. In addition to showcasing the fresh flavors of raw radishes, this member of the cabbage family is being served roasted, coated in butter (Hello, NoMad!), grilled, on crostini, and in ice cream! Find out which restaurants have diners raving about radishes in recent reviews.
* Aveline, San Francisco, California: “We split two desserts: one, dirt, made with radishes and oat ice cream, was stimulating.”
* Babbo Ristorante, New York, New York: “We had the tasting menu with wine pairings, and everything was delicious. My first roasted radish ever.”
* The Bachelor Farmer, Minneapolis, Minnesota: ”The food was amazing, even down to the crackers with radishes and salt before the meal.”
* Cafe Spiaggia, Chicago, Illinois: ”First, the outstanding food: ricotta with radish and asparagus served in a tiny jar with crostini — fabulous; roasted radish salad — great; pasta with garbanzo beans and pancetta, pork chop with polenta — both wonderful.”
* Cucina 24, Asheville, North Carolina: ”Great apps…..French breakfast radishes in garlic butter!”
* Doi Moi, Washington, D.C.: ”The radish cakes were very flavorful and perfectly crispy and hot.”
* Farmstead Grill, Baltimore, Maryland: ”Chicken with salad — panko-crusted chicken on kale with marvelous dressing; slivered radishes on toast; rosemary multicolored carrots — swoon-worthy vegetables. Many excellent vegan and vegetarian options.”
* Flyte World Dining and Wine, Nashville, Tennessee: ”I love the idea of ‘farm to table’, but what the chef did with the local produce was unusual and delicious. The charred-radish salad made me rethink radishes.”
* Heartland Restaurant and Farm Direct Market, St. Paul, Minnesota: ”The amuse bouche was a gorgeous bite of radish chip similar to a taco.”
* Imperial, Portland, Oregon: ”Food was creative and fun and delicious. My friend and I shared several dishes and wanted more. The grilled radishes were divine, as was the grilled romaine salad.”
* The Junction, Asheville, North Carolina: ”My wife had a vegetarian dish of scalloped radish and other veggies that she raved about.”
* The NoMad, New York, New York: ”Every dish was a memory in the making: the foie gras, gnocchi, the signature roast chicken, beef, duck, the desserts (We tried them all!) and even the butter radishes, and vegetable crudités left a lasting impression on our party.”
* NoPa Kitchen + Bar, Washington, D.C.: ”The radish salad is outstanding; a treat for the palette — a lovely combination of tastes and textures that was interesting and creative without being fussy.”
* Parc, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania: ”Loved it!! Once again, Parc did not disappoint — the food and service were great. I tried the radish appetizer and it was wonderful!”
* River Cafe, Calgary, Alberta: ”We all agreed the pan-roasted radishes were a wonderful addition to the plates (and only one of us likes radishes!).”
* Ten Tables, Cambridge, Massachusetts: “For dinner, he had halibut with turnips, sweet potato tortellini, and turnip green coulis, and I had the chicken breast with fingerling potatoes and salt-roasted radishes in a brown butter tarragon vinaigrette. Both dishes were absolutely delicious and we shared back and forth.”
