I’ve been burned by trendy food movements before. Remember when everyone was putting activated charcoal in everything? I do, and my stomach remembers too. So when I heard about “The Root,” a new restaurant in Williamsburg that claims to be completely zero-waste—no trash, no takeout containers, everything composted or reused—I was skeptical. But I’m also a sucker for a mission, so I booked a table for a Tuesday night. What I found was a restaurant that actually walks the walk, and serves some of the best food I’ve had this year.
The Concept: No Trash, No Exceptions
Chef Maria Sanchez, who previously ran a pop-up in Portland, built The Root around a simple but radical idea: nothing leaves the building that can’t be composted or eaten. That means no paper napkins (they use cloth), no plastic (even the straws are made from dried pasta), and no leftovers (everything is either preserved, pickled, or turned into stock). The menu changes daily based on what’s available from local farms, and every vegetable is used from root to leaf. The carrot tops? Turned into pesto. The beet skins? Dehydrated and ground into a powder for seasoning. The fish bones? Simmered into a broth for the soup of the day. It’s impressive, but I was worried the food would taste like, well, scraps.
It doesn’t. My first course was a salad of roasted carrots with a carrot-top pesto, toasted sunflower seeds, and a vinaigrette made from apple cider vinegar. It was bright, earthy, and surprisingly filling. The carrots were sweet and caramelized, and the pesto added a fresh, herbaceous note. I asked the server if they really use every part of the carrot, and she confirmed that even the peels go into a stock that becomes the base for their braised greens. Nothing is wasted.
The Dining Room: Rustic but Refined
The space itself is a converted warehouse with exposed brick, wooden tables, and hanging plants. There’s no trash can in sight—everything goes into a compost bin behind the kitchen. The lighting is warm, and the acoustics are good enough that you can hear your date without shouting. My only complaint is that the chairs are a bit hard, but that’s a minor quibble. The vibe is relaxed but attentive. The staff is passionate about the mission, and while I usually find that kind of enthusiasm annoying, here it felt genuine. One server spent five minutes explaining how they ferment their own kimchi from cabbage leaves that would otherwise be thrown away.
The open kitchen is a focal point. You can see Chef Sanchez and her team working over wood-fired ovens and induction cooktops. The whole place hums with energy. I watched a line cook trim scallions and immediately toss the green tops into a bowl for the next dish. It’s like a ballet of efficiency.
The Food: Seasonal, Creative, and Delicious
The menu at The Root changes daily, but the night I visited, I had a three-course meal that cost $68 (which is reasonable for Brooklyn). The first course was a butternut squash soup with a swirl of coconut cream and a drizzle of chili oil. It was velvety and comforting, with a hint of heat. The second course was a pan-seared trout with a side of braised kale and a puree made from the trout’s own bones. I know that sounds gross, but the puree was rich and savory, like a fish sauce but more delicate. The kale was tender and had a subtle smokiness from the wood fire.