New Restaurant: Rockin’ Raw
Last Friday I went to the Grand Opening of a new restaurant in Williamsburg called Rockin’ Raw, (178 N. 8th Street, between Bedford and Driggs, 718-599-9333), a spot that will feature all live, vegan, raw, organic food along Peruvian/New Orleanian lines. The awning is bright purple and was lit with very bright lamps which did not set a positive first impression. Thankfully the interior is much softer. The space is long and narrow with mostly white walls accented by a few red walls and a dark floor leading to an amazingly large and lush backyard.
First they sent around trays full of their “crabcakes” with dill sauce; made with spelt, they were really dense and crunchy (maybe a little on the dry side though) and the bright green sauce was flavorful and very garlicky.
There were also Nori Chips with Sunflower Seed Pate and topped with tomato which were really good. Nori is made from seaweed so these were nicely salty and had a good crunch to provide some texture. I was impressed with these.
They also passed around some sushi rolls with various stuffings like jicama & cauliflower or mango, cucumber & parsley. Both of these were tasty, crunchy and complex. It’s amazing what you can do with food when you change the consistency and texture of a few ingredients.
So, if you’re vegan or want to live the raw food life, this place makes really creative, good-tasting food. If you’re not either of those, you still might like trying Rockin’ Raw out for a change and to experience simple ingredients like sunflower seeds and spelt in a whole new way!
