bigail Hitchcock is not into birds or filmmaking, which is a shame for obvious reasons. She is, however, into food and plants. The New York chef took her B.Sc. degree in botany at the University of Bristol and has managed to put her affable knowledge to work at her current post. Besides creating gorgeous floral arrangements at her eponymous café, relatively close to the Brooklyn Botanical Gardens, Abigail managed to infuse her menu with her love of local farming and fresh simple food.

For fresh market lunches of the gourmet ilk, Abigail has got you covered. The best way to start things off here is with the roasted organic chicken salad served with a shallot-herb mayo dressing, greens and wax beans. If the day calls for something a bit more comforting and hearty, the spring pea soup with a hearty dollop of minted crème fraîche is an invigorating stand-in.

For mains, Abigail offers a variety of paninis, the most notable being the soft blue cheese sandwich, with leek and fresh pear option. It satisfies the taste buds with its milkshake viscosity that manages to ooze into all the fine crevices that make all the difference. More substantial, less convenient mains include the juicy Arctic char fillet which is dipped into a fresh tomato sauce with smoky undertones and covered in peas and cranberry beans. The smoked mac ‘n’ cheese is a veritable crowd-pleaser as well.

There are healthy sides to pair with small plates like lightly roasted cauliflower and salted, buttered radish. Kids are welcome and even have their own menu. Peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, mini burgers and ginger-citrus pops keep the little ones occupied.