Vegetarian Delights of NYC: Roasted Vidalia Onion at Seersucker

By Rebecca Marx Mon., Jun. 7 2010 at 12:28 PM

Categories: Marx, Vegetarian Delights of NYC

Seersucker may have opened in Carroll Gardens only two weeks ago, but it's already made a noteworthy contribution to the world of vegetarian entrées.

Seersucker has proclaimed its dedication to "exclusively" Southern cuisine that owes more to Edna Lewis and backyard gardens than to barbecue and the deep fryer. This allegiance clearly informs the roasted Vidalia onion, which is served stuffed with wheatberries and sprinkled with crispy shiitakes, and rests atop a tangle of sauteed mustard greens.

The croquet ball-sized onion is tender, slippery, and juicy. Its mellow sweetness makes a happy foil for the punch of the spicy, slightly bitter greens, which are saturated by a rich but unexpectedly light cream-based sauce. The chewy, nutty wheatberries and the shiitakes lend welcome textural variety to the dish, saving it from being something that could be consumed even when the dentures have gone missing.

Altogether, it's a satisfying and unusually thoughtful vegetarian entrée, not only for a Southern restaurant but for any restaurant. True, it could benefit from a bit more seasoning, and the $17 price tag is somewhat extravagant, but the way it allows simple, high-quality ingredients to speak for themselves, without being censored by heavy sauces or a deep fryer, is an unqualified delight.

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