The King Cookbook $30.42 at amazon.com<\/a><\/p>\n Clare de Boer and Jess Shadbolt had cooked side by side at London\u2019s legendary River Caf\u00e9, where they met Annie Shi, a self-taught American sommelier who was then working in finance. Together, they dreamed of opening a small, sunlit restaurant in New York City\u2014one that served Italian and French-inspired dishes that shifted with the seasons, the kind of casual place where the focus is on the food and conversation.<\/p>\n On a recent morning, the three women squeezed into a corner booth and reminisced about King\u2019s early scrappy days. \u201cWe had no money,\u201d Shi says. \u201cWe literally Googled \u2018How to Write a Restaurant Business Plan\u2019 and made one in PowerPoint. We weren\u2019t fully funded until two months after opening.\u201d<\/p>\n They knew they had found their spot the instant they saw it: a small, light-filled space with generous windows at the intersection of Avenue and the Americas and King Street (hence the name). The design of the space was deliberately simple\u2014both out of necessity and philosophy. \u201cIt was completely bootstrapped,\u201d de Boer says. \u201cMy mom, Jane Gowers, designed the space. Annie\u2019s dad helped build it. And Jess was on her knees grouting tiles.\u201d<\/p>\n The dining room at King restaurant in Greenwich Village. Courtesy of King<\/p>\n Soon, King began drawing a loyal following of both foodies and the fashion crowd for its signature dishes\u2014panisse (chickpea fritters), grilled halibut, and handmade pasta. Nearly a decade later, the trio is finally sharing their recipes in The King Cookbook, out now from Flatiron Books. Here, they offer a few of their best lessons on entertaining\u2014whether you are cooking for a crowd or setting the table for two.<\/p>\n Poached Striped Bass from The King Cookbook. Matt Russell<\/p>\n KEEP THE CANVAS CLEAN<\/p>\n At King, every design choice was made to let the food take center stage. Tables are covered in plain white paper (a white tablecloth or simple wood surface works just as well at home), plates are unadorned white porcelain, and there is virtually no d\u00e9cor competing for attention. Even the napkins are folded to the edge of the table, seam-side down. \u201cLet the food be the most beautiful thing on the table,\u201d Shadbolt says. \u201cOur plates aren\u2019t expensive but the one thing we insist on are rims\u2014they frame a dish and make the food pop.\u201d<\/p>\n SIMPLICITY WINS<\/p>\n There are no showpiece stoves or caviar trolleys at King\u2014the space is far too small for that. From the narrow, open galley, diners can watch every move in the kitchen: pasta stirred over basic gas burners, sauces whisked in utilitarian stainless-steel pots, knives flashing as herbs are chopped. It\u2019s a reminder that all you need to cook great food is an investment in basic quality cookware. \u201cYou don\u2019t need much\u2014just essentials and a clear workflow,\u201d de Boer says. \u201cOur kitchen mirrors most home kitchens, if not smaller.\u201d<\/p>\n DESIGN FOR CONNECTION<\/p>\n At King, tables are set without silverware, encouraging guests to begin the meal by sharing food with their hands\u2014often the restaurant\u2019s Carta di Musica, the paper-thin Sardinian flatbreads served grilled and topped with everything from torn figs, mint, and fresh ricotta to whipped bottarga, sungolds, and wild oregano. There is even a chocolate-and-olive oil version for dessert.<\/p>\n SPLURGE WHERE IT COUNTS<\/p>\n King\u2019s owners learned early to spend wisely. When it came to the restaurant\u2019s design, they chose one true indulgence: Josef Hoffmann\u2019s 1925 cane and bentwood chairs<\/a> for Thonet. \u201cThat was the one \u2018nice\u2019 thing Jane insisted on,\u201d Shi says. \u201cWe sat in every available chair before choosing them. They\u2019ve become synonymous with King.\u201d<\/p>\n D\u00e9cor is sparse, but each piece has meaning. There is artwork by R.F. Alvarez, who also illustrated the cookbook. In one window sits an antique Proven\u00e7al confit pot\u2014cracked during an event and later repaired with 24-karat gold by a kintsugi artist in Queens. \u201cWe love it even more now,\u201d Shi says.<\/p>\n The same philosophy applies to their food. The cookbook\u2019s pantry section lists the olive oils they rely on most: a Tuscan single-estate fresh press from Capezzana; their own fresh press<\/a> from Tuscany\u2019s Sesti; and a Californian Arbequina. Every ingredient has a story just as every design choice reflects quiet intention.<\/p>\n MAKE A STATEMENT<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/2ccd1af91f03a4f3c2a4ea0657611496.jpeg\"\/)
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