The anticipated Vermont import American Flatbread Hearth opened yesterday at 205 Hudson Street in Tribeca. Owners Billy Reilly and Gerard Scollan installed one of the restaurant’s two primitive ovens — which are made from Vermont clay cured on an alder basket frame — behind a chef’s counter in the center of the 145-seat dining room, which has been finished with reclaimed barn boards. The menu’s ten signature flatbreads are made with organic flour, the dough is given two fermentations, and the pies are laden with organic, local produce and a mind-boggling roster of cheeses from New England farms. The beech- and maple-fired ovens leave the flatbreads with a crisp and airy crust. Sustainable and “agricultural-friendly” bottles make up the wine list, and there are fourteen craft beers on tap, as well as a selection of bottles and cans. The restaurant also has plans to collaborate with local and craft distilleries. Check out the space and the food, just ahead.
American Flatbread Hearth, 205 Hudson St., at Desbrosses St.; 212-776-1441