How Fungi Are Taking Over Restaurant Menus In New York City

Move over, steak—mushrooms are stepping up to the plate. Across New York City and beyond, chefs are transforming humble fungi into hearty, center-of-the-plate stars, blurring the line between plant-based dining and classic comfort food.

At Café Chelsea in New York City’s Manhattan borough, for example, you’ll find a meaty, ruffle-edged maitake. The nickname for this mushroom is the Hen Of The Woods. Today, it is is prepared like Steak Au Poivre, with a velvety peppercorn sauce. It arrives with a steak knife.

“I had to have a vegetarian item, and I knew a mushroom could be more than just a side,” explains Derek Boccagno, Café Chelsea’s executive chef. “The mushroom au poivre is one of our most popular dishes.” Café Chelsea is only our first example of fungi are taking over restaurant menus.

Boccagno isn’t alone. Across the city, creativity with mushrooms is in full bloom. Acadia in Midtown Manhattan serves skewers of king oyster mushrooms and eggplant, while Lavaux Wine Bar in the West Village offers porcini fondue. At Tatiana, chef Kwame Onwuachi’s acclaimed spot near Lincoln Center, mushrooms show up in unexpected ways, including a takeout-inspired medley served with scallion pancakes.

Mushrooms Are Redefining Steaks And Burgers In Fine Dining

Perhaps the boldest mushroom commitment comes from Third Kingdom, a vegan restaurant in the East Village devoted entirely to fungi. “The response has been overwhelming, and not just from vegans,” says co-owner Ravi DeRossi. His sautéed and sauced blue oyster mushrooms deliver the rich, savory satisfaction diners expect from a steakhouse. They have a mineral taste, earthy depth, and satisfying chew. When it come to replacing meat entirely, new varieties of fungi are taking over restaurant menus using the same recipes and seasoning that chefs used to apply to meat dishes.

Mushrooms have been sneaking their way into risottos and pastas. For example, Rezdora’s Tagliatelle Al Funghi Del Bosco. That is one of several mushroom-forward pasta dishes in New York. But, now they’re showing up crispy, fried, and indulgent. Think tempura-battered mushrooms at Hamlet & Ghost in Saratoga Springs or the unexpected portobello mushroom Milanese at Boat House in Tiverton, Rhode Island. “People order it because they’re curious, and then they’re pleasantly surprised,” says Boat House chef Marissa Lo.

Even the meat industry is embracing the trend. Pat LaFrieda, the famed beef purveyor, has introduced his new “50Cut”—a hybrid burger blending beef with oyster, trumpet, shiitake, and lion’s mane mushrooms. The result? A burger that cooks and tastes like an all-beef patty, but with fungi playing a leading role.

Cooking Mushrooms: What You Need to Know

One thing experts agree on: Always cook your mushrooms. Winson Wong, co-founder of Afterlife, a mushroom grower in Queens, warns against eating raw mushrooms, even cultivated varieties. “They can be toxic if eaten raw,” he explains. Cooking not only eliminates this risk. It unlocks their full flavor potential.

Fortunately, a wide range of mushrooms are now available to home cooks. Beyond the familiar button, cremini, portobello, and shiitake, farmers markets and specialty stores are stocking varieties like lion’s mane, blue oyster, and king trumpet. You can even order exotic options online.

However, handling them properly is key. Mushrooms often come packaged in plastic, which traps moisture and accelerates spoilage. Transfer them to an open paper or mesh bag and store them in the refrigerator, away from the moist vegetable drawer. Properly stored, most mushrooms will keep for about a week. For long-term storage, try dehydrating them. Just don’t freeze them raw unless you want a soggy mess when they thaw.

When prepping mushrooms, trim the bottoms of the stems. For tougher varieties like shiitakes, discard the stems entirely or steep them to create a savory broth. A soft brush can remove soil while washing is optional. If you do rinse them, be sure they dry completely before cooking.

Sautéing is a simple, flavorful technique. Understand that mushrooms will initially soak up fat but release it back as they cook down. Grilling, roasting, or simmering them in stock are also great ways to showcase their umami-rich flavor. For inspiration, check out Mushroom Gastronomy by Krista Towns, which profiles different mushrooms and includes recipes like King Trumpet Char Siu and black pearl oyster mushroom stroganoff.

Farming The Future With Mushrooms As A Sustainable Food

Despite what trendy menus might suggest, most of today’s mushrooms aren’t wild-foraged. That would become an issue for supply and quality consistency. They’re cultivated in high-tech urban facilities, a process that requires no agricultural land, minimal water, and zero chemical intervention. Currently, mushrooms are considered one of the most sustainable foods on the planet. They deliver bold flavor and meaty texture. Without the environmental toll of livestock or resource-intensive crops.

From fine dining to casual cooking, mushrooms are staking their claim as the ultimate ingredient for the future. Chefs consider them rich, satisfying, and endlessly versatile. As an ingredient, fungi are taking over restaurant menus and here to stay.