Jean-Georges Vongerichten To Open Vegetarian Restaurant

Jean-Georges Vongerichten, French chef and owner of several restaurants including three-Michelin star restaurant Jean Georges, is set to open his "hotly awaited" vegetarian restaurant, ABCV, in early 2016 in the ABC Carpet & Home store, according to New York Post. Vongerichten's venture is a first among the community of three-star Michelin chefs.

Though Vongerichten still enjoys meat, over the years his appetite has evolved and he finds himself eating less meat and fish. He says, "You follow your cravings. Less and less do I crave meat. A day after [a beefy meal], I'll do some cleansing." In his Alsatian upbringing, his diet was made up of "70 percent grains and vegetables," as meat was expensive.

As for the menu, which is still a work in progress, Vongerichten says, "We are not going to have a vegetable burger. We're not going to make vegetables look like meat. Vegetables themselves, mushrooms, grains, roots, will be the stars." Chef de cuisine Neal Harden is set to execute the menu for ABCV.