DISH OF THE WEEK: Baked Ricotta and Roasted Kabocha at LORING PLACE

Every week, I document another dish that impressed and satiated me during my food adventures around New York City

Chef Dan Kluger has a way with vegetables. He garnered lots of praise for his vegetable mastery at ABC Kitchen, which has become one of the trendiest NYC veggie-centric restaurants. And now he has his own place in Greenwich Village called Loring Place.

And just to be clear, these are not vegetarian restaurants. In fact Loring Place gets as much attention for their burger and roasted short rib as they do for their brussels sprouts pizza and leek & pear salad.

But there’s on question when dining at Loring Place, you want to make sure you eat your vegetables.

They’re spread out among the small plates, dips, spreads, and pastas. We had a few of these dishes and they were all balanced, bright, and fresh. But the rich Baked Ricotta was by far the stand out.

Served in a cast iron skillet this could be something along the lines of a cheesy Mexican queso fundido. But Kluger wouldn’t serve something so simple.

Instead he pairs it with expertly roasted kabocha squash which adds a nice level of sweetness. There’s a subtle spice and the warm ricotta is brightened up with plenty of parsley.

The combination of all of these ingredients spread on grilled sourdough is heavenly. But the truth is, the decadent cheese and squash don’t need any vessel at all. You could literally use a fork to ladle it into your mouth and you would be just as happy. And that, my friends, is how you do vegetables. Price: $16