A Noted Chef is teaming up with an Exec from Chipotle and another from Peloton in a new NOHO Restaurant

An exercise guru and a fast food executive have teamed up to back Michelin-starred chef Andrew Black to open a new upscale fast casual restaurant in NOHO called Kernel.

While Kernel may be a homonym of KFC’s world-famous mascot– the Colonel–and shares a primary chicken menu item with that franchise, this brand new, fast-casual concept has little in common with the namesake eatery.

Kernel, at 15 East 4th Street, is the second New York City location of this novel restaurant. The first in the city is just a stone’s throw from Chelsea at 315 Park Avenue South, the original location that debuted in Feb. 2024. It was created by a powerhouse trio of heavy-hitters from very divergent backgrounds: Steve Ells, the founder of Chipotle, Tom Cortese, a co-founder of Peloton, and Black, chef with such esteemed credentials as Le Cordon Bleu and Eleven Madison Park under his tocque. These three talents combined their respective expertise and passions to create a restaurant that is healthier in all respects: nutritionally, societally, environmentally and economically.

The genius of this place is multifold. Elemental in design, the dining area still retains a welcoming feel, brightly painted and with super-saturated photos decorating the walls. But the real novelty is the very open kitchen, which is ostensibly bigger than the dining space. You can see every nook of the food prep area- they have nothing to hde. A robotic arm, affectionately referred to as Kuka (which is actually the brand name) by the NoHo workers, is enclosed in a cage-like “pantry” of ingredients. It is programmed to react to your order in real time, and selects all the components of your meal quickly and hygienically. But this is no depersonalized automat. The machine is stocked by real humans, quite friendly and personable ones in fact, that are also compensated well above industry standards- and it shows. Kuka only comes into play at all hours and its efficiency is significant. Once instigated, it moves in a mesmerizing series of staccato lurches, which if performed by a human would end up sloshing and tumbling mostof the food straight onto the floor. It selects menu components in calibrated motions and orchestrates the final cooking of the hot food, like the sandwiches and some sides, then turning them over to an assembler to finish by hand. According to Eli, who works at the NoHo store, “it’s faster,” and obviously much more hygienic than human hands.

Of course, all these developments might be for naught if the food wasn’t great. Fortunately, it is. While the original idea was to be entirely plant-based, in accordance too with Black’s experience at Eleven Mad, the team was disgruntled by the ultra-processed, nutritionally dubious “ch*k’n” products available, deducing one piece of antibiotic-free, locally procured chicken thigh is resolutely preferable to some frankenmeat. As such, there are four chicken sandwiches available, the favorite of both Chef Black and two NoHo employees who share his good taste, Isabelle and Byran, being the Spicy Roasted Chicken Sandwich. There is also an Herb Roasted version, a little less spicy but commensurately flavorful, and a Classic Crispy one with an impressively crunchy battered coating. A Roasted Chicken Salad sammie was my favorite, amped up with garlic aioli and ultra-crispy bits of fried pancetta. Vegetarian options include a zesty Eggplant Parmesan, Eli’s favorite, which is saucy and cheesy, bulked up with lentils and wild rice, giving it a dense, hearty texture. Their proprietary Veggie Burger is a blend of chickpeas, lentils, kale, sweet potato, beets, and onions made in house, by hand, and served up classic-style with melty cheese and shredduce. “Everything we use is something you could find in your grandma’s kitchen,” proudly avers Black... as long as your granny is really well-stocked.

While sandwiches are more substantial, vegetables are not an afterthough here. In fact, they very well may be the draw, and a deuce or trio of them could easily constitute a full meal. Each little cardboard cup of garden goodness has been thoughtfully composed, striking a delicious balance between flavor and nutrition. Roasted cauliflower is paired with black lentils and crunchy hazelnuts, anointed with a dollop of vibrant green Caesar. Beets are assertively spiced and tumbled with quinoa and an herby hummus, providing a substantive texture and a hint of nuttiness. My favorite, Roasted Broccoli with Gigante Beans is dolled up with a Romesco umami-bomb and brightened with pickled fennel and capers. There are also some uber-crispy, thrice-cooked Crispy Potatoes to sate any burgers-and-fries jonesing.

Seven salad options are available, which are basically renditions of the sandwiches reimagined as Caesars and Choppeds, but also with tofu options available. And while, or perhaps since, dessert isn’t usually considered a healthful priority, one has to take into mind emotional health at the same time. Their classic Brown Butter sea-salt dark Valrhona Chocolate Chip cookie is a chewy, crispy-edged, decadent little hug. Because while Kernel grew from futuristic tech, the food and the feels are as real as it gets.