Two Day Magazine

The Way Food was Meant to Taste

• Info
• Phone: 212.242.5800
• 519 Avenue of the Americas (also known as 6th Ave, just south of 14th Street)
• New York, New York 10011
• website map

In wanting to support the Green movement in the world of food, we decided to cover the first Organic USDA certified restaurant in New York, GustOrganics. It is also certified as a Green Restaurant by the Green Restaurant Association.  Owner, Alberto Gonzalez, hails from Buenos Aires, Argentina and opened GustOrganics in January 2008. GustOrganics has been labeled as a lifestyle choice that inspires sustainable change in our communities through food, friendship, integrity and local cooperation. Everything in the restaurant, from the straws, to the napkins, to all the ingredients are certified organic and bought locally, if possible.   Their goal is to satisfy their customer’s taste buds while also sustaining our environment’s resources.

In his native Argentina, Alberto enjoyed fresh tomatoes, oranges, avocados, strawberries, broccoli and corn. These are all staples of the food at GustOrganic. We were there at lunch time and tasted a portion of the vast menu. We had the soup of the day, which was a very tasty puree of portabella mushroom and broccoli; it tasted pure, not watered down or thickened with cream. It was very rich and had a sensual, earthy flavor. We also tried a couple of Piadinas: grilled chicken and grilled vegetable. They start out with a flat flour tortilla; add the ingredients with mozzarella cheese and toast. Your taste buds will be happy enjoying all flavorful and wholesome ingredients. Next time, we will try the empanadas and the pizzas! We did sample two of the Natural Fruit Blends (smoothies); Rojo, which is made with strawberries, orange juice, agave and ice. The second smoothie was called Suave. It contained peaches, orange juice, agave and ice. They were both loaded with vitamin A, B1, fiber and magnesium to keep you and your lover’s bodies happy. We were also tempted by some of their delectable pastries for dessert. They tasted rich and too good to be healthy, but we kept telling ourselves that these tasty treats were at least all natural!

The atmosphere was light and rustic and the staff was very cheerful and helpful. They also serve breakfast as well as a candlelit dinner with a different menu with table service, and brunch on weekends. The breakfast and lunch service is modified self service – you order and they bring it to your table.

If you want to help the world around you and also eat delicious nutritious food in a great atmosphere, you should try GustOrganics. This could be the beginning of the “healthy” fast food movement. Just get to 6th Avenue and 14th street. You will likely travel a lot less than Alberto, who once drove 260 miles to taste the perfect dulce de leche! Can you blame him? Food is love, after all!