NEW YORK – On December 14, the New York Times released its list of New York’s Top 10 New Restaurants for 2021 and among the diverse restaurants, Greek-American Chef John Fraser’s Iris came in at number seven.

Drawing on his Greek heritage, Chef John Fraser explores the cuisine of the Aegean at Iris which features not only Greek, but Turkish dishes as well, creating a menu that suggests a sense of place, while leaving room for innovation and imagination in flavor, texture, and presentation.

Iris Executive Chef Rob Lawson first began working with Fraser in early 2019 at 701West in Times Square, where he was the Chef de Cuisine.

Among the dishes highlighted by the Times, “a mashed eggplant salad” with “roasted peppers, toasted pine nuts, fresh herbs and more than a trickle of vinegar.”

“Hummus is soured with both lemon juice and sumac, then finished with sesame seeds,” the Times reported, adding that “a Turkish pide, a canoe-shaped feta pie, is seasoned with leeks, fresh dill and crunchy pink pickled onions.”

Amy Racine’s wine list which includes many Greek wines was also noted in the Times for the rare inclusion of Turkish wines as well.

Iris is located at 1740 Broadway at West 56th Street in Midtown Manhattan.

More information is available online: https://www.irisrestaurant.nyc/.

Recognized as one of the world’s leading vegetable chefs, Fraser has played a significant part in redefining the role of vegetables in American cuisine. He refined his fine dining expertise under the mentorship of Thomas Keller at The French Laundry in the Napa Valley, before moving abroad to Paris to work at the revered fine dining restaurants Taillevent and Maison Blanche.

A vision to create the entire hospitality experience led Fraser to found his own hospitality group, JF Restaurants.