Award-winning, plant-based hospitality group Overthrow Hospitality recently opened &Beer, and if you’re into beer and shrooms (no, not the psychedelic kind), it’s safe to say your interest should be piqued.
&Beer is a 14-seat counter restaurant that will serve as the hospitality group’s “concept incubator,” hosting a rotation of limited-time pop-ups throughout the year.
And, the first iteration is all about beer and mushrooms.
Led by Avant Garden Chef Juan Pajarito, this season’s concept, aptly named Mushrooms & Beer, is essentially a three-month mushroom lover’s paradise. The menu is, as we’re sure you already assumed, 100% mushroom-focused, and will offer a number of unique dishes, including everything from small bites to desserts.
The best part–the glory of mushrooms is on full display in each dish.
Each menu item is centered around an individual mushroom variety, such as oyster mushrooms, which will be beer tempura battered and served with ponzu hot sauce, enoki mushrooms with smoked apple barbecue sauce, asparagus, and zucchini, cremini mushrooms with tomato cream sauce, garlic spinach ricotta, and basil oil, and lion’s mane mushrooms in dumplings served with daikon sauce and micro cilantro.
And while we didn’t think it was possible for mushrooms to find their way on a dessert plate, they’re proving us wrong and incorporating black truffles into a sweet chocolate and truffle ravioli served with blueberry sauce and vanilla ice cream.
As for the idea behind the concept, it’s been an idea of founder Ravi Derossi’s for quite some time.
“I’ve wanted to open a singularly focused mushroom restaurant for a very long time but have been told it was a ridiculous idea…One of Avant Garden’s signature dishes has been the ‘Hen of the Woods Mushroom’—a dish consisting of four different preparations, and one of our best sellers since opening in 2015,” said founder Ravi Derossi.
“We felt like this single dish could be expanded into a complete concept, after-all it was an impetus for turning our entire group vegan. And with the rising popularity of mushrooms—both in food and pop culture—now felt like the perfect time to try,” Derossi added.
Of course, important to &Beer is the beer list, which is comprised of an expansive list featuring a rotating selection of cans, bottles, and draft offerings. The list, which is selected by Overthrow’s Beer Director Ramon Manrique Hung, showcases a combination of local and European beers ranging from sours, lagers, and hoppy brews.
Some of the opening list includes:
- Oerbierb (2016), Belgian Strong Dark Ale from Brouwerij De Dolle Brouwers (canned)
- Coolship Resurgam, Wild Ale from Allaghash Brewing Co (canned)
- Palatine Pils, Pilsner from Suarez Family Brewing (bottled)
- Surfcasting, Farmhouse Sour from Oxbow Brewing Co (bottled)
- Closer, American Pale Ale from Root + Branch Brewing (on draft)
- It’s the Life, Farmhouse Saison from Pen Druid Brewing (on draft)
If you’re not a fan of mushrooms, don’t fret! Potential upcoming concepts for &Beer include plant-based spins on Egyptian cuisine, sushi, BBQ, and Chinese.
Located at 21 East 7th Street in the East Village, &Beer is located adjacent to Overthrow Hospitality’s beloved beer bar, Proletariat. It’s open Tuesday to Saturday, 5 p.m. – 10 p.m.
Learn more on their website.