The man behind 15 of NYC's hottest restaurants and bars just took a huge leap for the environment. Ravi DeRossi, the mastermind behind such culinary landmarks as The Bourgeois Pig, announced this week that he will overhaul all 15 of his restaurants and bars to serve vegan-only menus. The valiant restaurateur is on a mission to save the planet by serving refined vegan cuisine, telling Eater, “I’ve been such a strain on society for 40 years now, it's time for me to be more productive.”
It’s no big news that animal consumption is wreaking havoc on our planet. A 2014 study found that the meat and livestock industry results in more carbon emissions than even the transportion industry. DeRossi understands this dilemma, and has decided to use his influence in the restaurant industry to combat the issue. He himself is a vegan and is also the founder of cruelty-free non-profit Beast.
DeRossi’s new vegan empire will kick off with a revamp of his popular Polynesian tiki-bar, Mother of Pearl, featuring a fruit and vegetable-centric menu orchestrated by vegan chef Daphne Cheng. Later this summer, the landmark charcuterie and fondue bar, The Bourgeois Pig, will transform into a cruelty-free wine and tapas bar called LadyBird.
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According to Eater, DeRossi will open a second location of Avant Garden, one of his already successful vegan hotspots, this fall in Williamsburg, Brooklyn. The new restaurant will make vegan dining even more en vogue, offering classy yet affordable cocktails, a tasting table, a vegan butcher, and a commissary kitchen.
DeRossi told Eater, “You don’t realize that the average restaurateur does three times more destruction [to the environment] than the average person. I have 15 restaurants and bars. It started to weigh on me.”
Lead image via Time Out; All other images via Mother of Pearl and Avant Garden
