The morning after my first dinner at Jackson Kramer’s Bounty on Broad, I woke up thinking of forest mushrooms. Had I been dreaming about the restaurant’s soul-satisfying dish? Or was I still intoxicated by the flavorful mushroom foursome: shiitake, oyster, chanterelle, and hen of the woods tossed with crispy pepitas, plump, ruby red grapefruit, and seasonal sorrel.
Sadly for me, the restaurant’s new menu, rolled out Saturday, replaced the mushroom medley with fried cauliflower tossed with spicy honey, balsamic reduction, and herb salad. But who can complain about any of the vegetables at Kramer’s recently opened restaurant in Midtown’s historic Broad Avenue Arts District? Along with the cauliflower, the vegetables, served family style, include loaded pommes frites, roasted beets with avocado goddess dressing, and charred Broccolini made even more appealing with cranberries, lentils, and Swiss chard.
Built around two dozen or so sharable plates organized into three categories (vegetables, fish, and meat), plus nightly special Bounty bowls for vegetarians and carnivores, the menu at Bounty is delicious and fun to navigate.
Instead of ordering appetizers, salads, and entrées, customers pick dishes based on appeal and timing. Famished and want to eat quickly? Select dishes from the top of each category, such as lamb tartare or smoked delta catfish with capers and dill.
Ready to slow dinner down? Order Midtown Manhattans made with Jameson Irish whiskey and dishes from the end of lists that take longer to make, such as mountain trout stuffed with fennel, orange, carrots and watercress or chicken cooked “under a brick.” (The chicken takes about half an hour to prepare, but is worth the wait.)
Desserts change regularly, as do Bounty’s exceptionally good gelatos made in-house by E’Lane Williams, the former pastry chef at Interim. Although I seldom get dessert, Bounty’s gelato enticed me to order all three flavors: clove (remarkable!), sea salt caramel, and orange Nutella.
Busy and popular, Bounty has an infectious energy in keeping with its menu and beautifully restored space. Already, the restaurant feels comfortable with itself, thanks to a confident chef, an accommodating staff, an open kitchen design, and a second-story dining room with pretty window views.
Closed Monday and Tuesday, the restaurant serves dinner Wednesday through Saturday starting at 4:30 p.m. and Sunday brunch from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Look for the restaurant’s butcher shop to open early next year.
Bounty on Broad, 2519 Broad Ave. (901-410-8131); prices for food ($9 to $24), cocktails ($9 to $11) and wine by the glass ($7 to $11).
