Matthew Kenney Cuisine, a plant-based lifestyle brand founded by celebrity chef, author and wellness entrepreneur Matthew Kenney, will open SESTINA, a pasta and wine bar, at 67 2nd Ave. on August 14.
The space, formerly occupied by Kenney’s Plant Food and Wine, is a new concept that embodies the spirit of the neighborhood with elegant, comfort cuisine, creative small plates and desserts, and a sustainable wine program.
The 1,000-square-foot interior features an open kitchen, and patio seating along with table service. The glass-enclosed pasta “bar” itself, is the focal point of the intimately decorated room and provides an almost interactive experience where diners can watch chefs create their consumable masterpieces. The MKC team designed the space in-house, and created a relaxed yet refined, clean, and comfortable environment featuring a monochromatic design highlighted with wood accents throughout.
“SESTINA offers a healthy, plant-based adaptation of universally-loved Italian classics, and the best pasta you will ever eat,” says Matthew Kenney, CEO of MKC. “ Using the highest quality ingredients, honoring traditional styles – while constantly experimenting with new dishes – is what makes it unique, not just in the plant-based market, but the restaurant industry as a whole.”
SESTINA’s meal kit’ program is perfect for those who prefer to cook in the comfort of their own kitchen. The online marketplace offers ready-to-cook kits inclusive of all the ingredients you need to make your favorite SESTINA dishes at home. You can also order bottled craft cocktails to go with your meal. While the dine-in menu features several well-known pasta dishes, there will be many additional, formative takes on classics. From the menu, diners can expect:
– GNOCCHI. BROWN BUTTER. WALNUT. SAGE. PUMPKIN SEED PARMESAN GF
– ESCAROLE. SMOKED ALMOND RICOTTA. ARTICHOKE. PRESERVED LEMON. PICKLED RED ONION
– RIGATONI BOLOGNESE RAGU. MOZZARELLA. MACADAMIA. PARMESAN
– ZEPPOLE HAZELNUT. CHOCOLATE GANACHE GF
The beverage program highlights biodynamic and organic Italian wines. Additionally, guests will be delighted with the innovative cocktail program that pays homage to classic Italian cocktails characteristically interpreted by MKC.
“This is a huge year of growth for the plant-based market, especially given the current health crisis. People are realizing that they need to take care of themselves more than ever, in a way that is sustainable and enjoyable.,” says Kenney. “We continue to see a real shift in the restaurant industry, which has been something I’ve been working toward for a very long time.”
SESTINA is one of many new restaurant openings in the year ahead, as several MKC establishments are slated to debut in new cities throughout this Fall and Winter. Double Zero Pizza is currently expanding into additional locations throughout Baltimore and Boston, all to open this year. Other restaurants slated to open include: Avivar, an all-day restaurant at the One & Only Palmilla in San Jose del Cabo, Mexico, AYRE at the Amrit Ocean Resort on Singer Island, Florida, and the second location of Hungry Angelina, an approachable concept that makes plant-based eating accessible to all, in Dumbo, Brooklyn next month. These openings precede another slew of new restaurants and retail product lines from the MKC Group, which will pop up later this year.
SESTINA is located at 67 2nd Ave, New York, NY 10003.
About Matthew Kenney
Matthew Kenney is one of the world’s first leading chefs at the forefront of plant-based cuisine, an author of 12 cookbooks and a best-selling memoir, a culinary educator and CEO of Matthew Kenney Cuisine, a multifaceted company specializing in plant-based living throughout several unique markets.
Matthew Kenney graduated from the French Culinary Institute and, after working in upscale New York City kitchens, opened a number of his own highly regarded restaurants in New York and along the East Coast. He has earned several awards, including being named one of America’s Best New Chefs by Food and Wine Magazine and was twice nominated as a Rising Star Chef in America by the James Beard Foundation. Kenney has appeared on numerous food and talk shows, and regularly lectures on the subject of food and health, including a highly watched TEDx talk in 2011.
