Executive
Chef Rae Kramer at Il Fiorista in New York City provides a delectable
"floral" taste of the restaurant where the culinary and cocktail focus is on
incorporating floral elements in the creative and very tasty items on their
menus. Chef Rae graciously shares her super delicious recipe for recipe for Hibiscus
Caramelized Onions that are on their Burgers that are on their Brunch
and Flower Happy Hour menus. The name of the restaurant, Il
Fiorista, translates from Italian to English as "The Florist," which
is aptly appropriate with its proximity to the Garden District of New
York City and its positioning in NoMad.

Il Fiorista
I became
acquainted with this charming, light-filled restaurant and Chef Rae Kramer's
cuisine when I attended a special Italian wine luncheon provided by Ottella
wines on Thursday, December 8, 2022, where
there was a lovely pairing of 4 of their wines complemented by Chef Rae's
inspired cuisine. After experiencing lunch at the restaurant, I came to expect
the unexpected in a good way. One of the surprises that I found especially
creative and delicious was the lemon fritti that garnished the Roasted Carrot
dish with oil-cured olive, labneh, carrot top, urfa, and sumac. For the lemon
fritti, she had thinly sliced a lemon on a mandolin then dipped it in a tempura
batter and fried it until delicately golden brown and seasoned it with a light
sprinkling of salt. The citrus and salt was a delightful combination that
paired especially well with the roasted carrot and creamy labneh.
As a
gardener who plants a plethora of edible flowers to use in my culinary and
cocktail recipes, as well as for their beauty and to add to the ambience of my
backyard gardens, I was attracted to Il Fiorista where the restaurant
has a floral focus that is apparent from Chef Rae Kramer's menus to the
exquisite floral arrangements placed throughout the restaurant. Il Fiorista
also has a floral boutique and is an education center with floral workshops for
those that want to learn more about the gracious art of floral design. Located
near the Garden District of New York, this restaurant not only caught my eye,
but my palate as well.

Chef Rae Kramer
Speaking
with Chef Rae Kramer after the luncheon I was excited to learn that every
culinary and cocktail has a floral or herbal component that go well beyond the
ordinary. As examples of the creative ingredients used in their cocktails, Thorn
in My Side incorporates bergamot, rose, and basil seed; for Cheeky
Damson there is the addition of chamomile, and for Butterfly Kiss
they use a butterfly pea syrup, ingredients that are not what you would normally
find on cocktail menus, and those are only a few examples of their well-crafted
cocktails on the menu.
Their culinary
menu clearly shows Chef Rae's deft hand at creating inspired dishes with a
little something extra to make them stand out and have diners take notice. As
examples, Lotus Root Crisps have pine pollen, Crispy Potatoes
have a marigold buttermilk vinaigrette, and their Glazed Short Rib has
anise hyssop as one of the ingredients.
Leave it to
Chef Rae to even incorporate floral elements for their Burger with provolone,
chamomile aioli, and hibiscus caramelized onions, with the possibility of
adding maitake mushrooms. She shared that the restaurant's mission is to source
local ingredients from farmer friends, organic, wherever possible, and purchase
that they purchase their provolone and ground beef from Lancaster Farm Fresh
CSA Co-op.
Chef Rae
Kramer attended The Art Institutes International-Kansas City where she earned a
bachelor's degree in Culinary Arts/Chef Training. She honed her culinary craft
working at restaurants in Kansas City before moving to cook in New York in
2016. She joined Il Fiorista three years ago as a Sous Chef and was
promoted to Executive Chef in 2021 where she has clearly earned her toque. When
not dreaming up inspired recipes for Il Fiorista, after spending long
hours in the kitchen, you can find Chef Rae in the gym where she likes to box,
something she has been doing for the past 5 years!
Chef Rae
Kramer graciously shares her recipe for Hibiscus Caramelized Onions to provide
a delectable taste of the restaurant and to inspire you to make a reservation
the next time you find yourself in New York City.
Executive
Chef Rae Kramer - Il Fiorista - Hibiscus Caramelized Onions
Ingredients:
20
|
|
White
Onions, julienne
|
2
|
Ounces
(60 grams)
|
Garlic,
use microplane
|
2
|
Ounces
(60 grams)
|
Whole
Dried Hibiscus
|
1
|
Pound
(454 grams)
|
Butter
|
1
|
750 ml
Bottle
|
Fino
Sherry
|
7
|
Ounces
(200 grams)
|
Honey
|
Method: Julienne the white onions. In a large rondeau (wide, shallow pan),
add butter, garlic, and hibiscus and bring to temperature. Start adding a third
of the onions, season with salt, and cook over medium high heat. Cook down
until you have room in the pan to add another third of the onions, and continue
cooking, until you have added all of the onions. Cook down until translucent.
Now add the Fino Sherry and honey. Cook down for 2-3 hours over medium low
heat. When finished cooking, season with salt. Cool down and put away until
ready to use.
Until next
time, Bon Appetit!
To read
about my dining experience at Il Fiorista, please read Ottella Wine Luncheon at Il
Fiorista, NYC, NY, USA in the
Restaurants section.
Il Fiorista Information
"Il
Fiorista is many things - all of them centered around the beautiful benefits of
flowers. Our NoMad location is home to a restaurant, floral boutique, and
education center that celebrate the various ways in which flowers can be
incorporated into our lives. At Il Fiorista, we're exploring the befits of
flowers beyond the aesthetic. We believe that they can elevate a dish,
positively impact health and wellness, and bring people together.
Il Fiorista Hours: Dinner: Tuesday
through Thursday from 5:00 pm until 10:00 pm, Friday and Saturday from 5:00 pm
until 11:00 pm, for Brunch: Saturday and Sunday from 11:30 am until 2:30 pm,
and for Happy Hour: Tuesday through Saturday from 4:00 pm until 7:00 pm. The
restaurant is closed on Monday.
For more
information on the restaurant, to make a reservation, or learn more about their
floral boutique or classes or please visit the website: www.ilfioristanyc.com.
Il Fiorista
17 West 26th
Street (between 5th and 6th Avenues)
New York,
New York 10010
Telephone:
+1-646-490-8240
Email:
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Website: www.ilfioristanyc.com
Facebook: www.facebook.com/ilfioristanewyork
Instagram: www.Instagram.com/ilfioristanyc
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2022. Luxury Experience www.LuxuryExperience.com. All rights reserved.
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