FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Media Contact:
Bullfrog + Baum, (212) 255-6717
Luciana Salame, Luciana@bullfrogandbaum.com
Julia Gordin, jgordin@bullfrogandbaum.com

UPSCALE VEGAN RESTAURANT AVANT GARDEN OPENS TODAY IN NEW YORK CITY
Owner Ravi DeRossi Opens Plant-Based Restaurant in the East Village
NEW YORK, NY (September 14, 2015) Avant Garden, an upscale vegan restaurant from owner
Ravi DeRossi, opens today in Manhattans East Village. DeRossi, owner of popular New York bars and
restaurants Death&Co, Mayahuel, Bergen Hill and the recently opened Mother of Pearl, has once again
tapped Executive Chef Andrew DAmbrosi to helm the kitchen. Simultaneously, with the opening of Avant
Garden, DeRossi is launching his nonprofit organization, BEAST (Benefits to End Animal Suffering
Today), that aims to assist multiple animal rights organizations in their efforts to end animal cruelty by
raising funds through various events.
Chef DAmbrosi brings his expertise in fine dining cuisine to Avant Garden, where he has created a plantbased menu offering a selection of Toasts, Hot and Cold dishes. Toasts like the Roasted Eggplant with
Calabrian Chile, celery root and pickled shallot; and Fennel Hummus with Castelvetrano Olive, orange
and walnut are offered. From the Cold section, dishes include Beets with mango, black sesame, tamari,
Toban Djan and lime; and Marinated Mushroom with avocado, jalapeno, radish and white soy ponzu. The
Blooming Onion with Motegrato Vinegar, salsa verde and migas; and Butternut Squash Farro Risotto with
baked apple, sage pesto and crispy farro are featured in Hot items.
Avant Gardens ambiance is cozy and intimate, offering seating for 26 guests. Featuring natural and rustic
design elements throughout, whitewashed brick walls surround the space and a 23 ft. counter made of
petrified wood faces the open kitchen. Directly above the counter, large branches have been fastened
together to create a dramatic chandelier, with light bulbs hanging overhead. The restaurants dining tables
were built using recycled wood, while beige upholstered bucket chairs offer comfortable seating.
The beverage program offers a small menu of natural wines wines made without any added sugars,
foreign yeasts and no adjustments to the acidity and ciders available by the bottle or glass, as well as a
selection of beers.
Avant Garden is located at 130 East 7th Street between 1st Avenue and Avenue A. They are open seven
days a week, SundayThursday, 5:00PM11:00PM; Friday and Saturday, 5:00PMmidnight. For more
information, please call (646) 922-7948 or visit www.avantgardennyc.com. For more information on
BEAST, please visit www.beastny.org.
###