Olmsted Chef Greg Baxtrom's New Restaurant Is Coming To Rockefeller Center
If you're a fan of Brooklyn's hip Olmsted restaurant, or another one of Greg Baxtrom's acclaimed restaurants in the borough, then listen up. The award-winning chef and restaurant owner is opening another New York City spot this winter. However, this time, the chef is stepping outside Brooklyn to serve his creative, signature farm-to-table fare in Midtown.
The new restaurant, Five Acres, is opening up in the bustling Rockefeller Plaza at rink level on December 8th, 2022, according to a press release sent to Tasting Table. The seasonally-driven establishment is set to serve up the kindred fare to that of the chef's successful Olmsted restaurant, while also pulling in inspiration from Baxtrom's fine dining days. The new restaurant holds a humble familiarity to that of his Brooklyn neighborhood joints, while still highlighting an elevated cuisine.
As per the press release, Five Acres is named after Baxtrom's Illinois-based family farm. The new design seems to pay homage through not only the food but the design, as it's an open-air concept with a vibrant backyard garden and natural materials throughout.
The Five Acres experience
The menu will showcase, "a thoughtful evolution of the creative, vegetable-forward cuisine Greg has become known for, Five Acres is guided by the seasons, and playfully nods to the fine dining restaurants where Greg honed his craft through presentation and technique," per a press release shared with Tasting Table.
Notable appetizers include a delicate tuna tartare alongside leche de tigre paired with preserved heirloom peppers, crab cakes with bruléed bone marrow aioli, and, for the plant-based crowd, a fennel Caesar salad with seeded granola. Mains showcase a balanced experience with dishes like arctic char paired with fermented cabbage and granny smith apples, a lobster trio, and a special winter root ratatouille, along with other fresh seafood, and meat and plant-based platters. Drool-worthy dessert offerings include a chocolate custard dish, pumpkin cake with pear sorbet, coconut-lime churros, and more.
Wine offerings are sourced from around the globe, mostly coming from sustainable wine producers that prioritize using indigenous grapes and natural production practices. The cocktail menu also prioritizes seasonality in its drinks.
Five Acres will seat 65 diners throughout its open-air restaurant and bar with Art Deco vibes. The restaurant seems to act as an oasis as it's filled with lush greenery while still letting in the surrounding activity from Rockefeller Center. The design is filled with natural materials, including wood sourced from the Baxtrom family farmhouse.
It might be worth trying to score a seat while you still can.