Ramp-age: Bill Telepan Ranks the City’s Newest Ramp Dishes
It’s that time of year again: Ramps are here, whether you like it or not. “I didn’t like the backlash last year,” chef Bill Telepan says. “Ramps are fucking awesome. And we only have them for six weeks — it’s the same thing for peas and asparagus and tomatoes.” Grub Street agrees and saw fit to get a jump on the season by tasting this year’s crop of ramp dishes at produce-loving restaurants ABC Kitchen, Back Forty West, Marlow & Sons, Porsena, Rucola, and of course, Telepan. Even though Telepan — who’s famously passionate about high-quality local food (he was just back from teaching cooking classes in Kentucky’s Appalachia region as part of the Wellness in the Schools program) — told us he liked every dish, we managed to convince him to rank his favorites and score them from 1 to 5 points. Check out the list, straight ahead.
The chef's own ramp creations. Clockwise from top left: shrimp scampi; pizza with ramps; ramp tempura
DISH: Pan-fried bacon, sauteed ramps, crumbled egg white, coddled-egg vinaigrette, $14
POINTS: 4.6
"That was good; really simple. You want ramp...
DISH: Pan-fried bacon, sauteed ramps, crumbled egg white, coddled-egg vinaigrette, $14
POINTS: 4.6
"That was good; really simple. You want ramps to be simple. It's the ultimate breakfast."
DISH: Housemade spaghetti with ramps and clams, $15
POINTS: 4.7
"The pasta's really terrific itself. Is that saffron? I like the breadcrumbs — ...
DISH: Housemade spaghetti with ramps and clams, $15
POINTS: 4.7
"The pasta's really terrific itself. Is that saffron? I like the breadcrumbs — it's a nice touch."
![DISH: Toast with ramp butter, pickled ramp bottoms, and goat cheese, $12
POINTS: 4.8
"It's kind of like awesome garlic bread. While the [ramp] flavor's not so big on the puree, the pickled part kicks it up."](https://pyxis.nymag.com/v1/imgs/27f/d01/6b7d347a2e13b573756d8138605f7a16df-20120202-ramps-8-count.2x.rsquare.w300.jpg)
![DISH: Toast with ramp butter, pickled ramp bottoms, and goat cheese, $12
POINTS: 4.8
"It's kind of like awesome garlic bread. While the [ramp] flavor's not so big on the puree, the pickled part kicks it up."](https://pyxis.nymag.com/v1/imgs/27f/d01/6b7d347a2e13b573756d8138605f7a16df-20120202-ramps-8-count.2x.rdeep-vertical.w450.jpg)
DISH: Toast with ramp butter, pickled ramp bottoms, and goat cheese, $12
POINTS: 4.8
"It's kind of like awesome garlic bread. While the [ramp] ...
DISH: Toast with ramp butter, pickled ramp bottoms, and goat cheese, $12
POINTS: 4.8
"It's kind of like awesome garlic bread. While the [ramp] flavor's not so big on the puree, the pickled part kicks it up."
DISH: Spring salad with charred ramps and goat cheese, $14
POINTS: 4.9
"What is great about this is that it sings spring. You had these baby ro...
DISH: Spring salad with charred ramps and goat cheese, $14
POINTS: 4.9
"What is great about this is that it sings spring. You had these baby root vegetables; the beets were nicely roasted, the carrots had a nice crunch. The ramps and watercress are symbolic of spring. The cheese had a nice tang."
DISH: Risotto with Italian sausage, razor clams, and ramps, $17
POINTS: 5
"This is a classic risotto. I love the idea of the sausage and clams ...
DISH: Risotto with Italian sausage, razor clams, and ramps, $17
POINTS: 5
"This is a classic risotto. I love the idea of the sausage and clams together. The ramps just bring it together. I'm not usually a fish-and-cheese dude, but the cheese was great."