21 New York Restaurants Leading the Charge Against Food Waste

Food waste has become one of the most pressing challenges in the culinary world, but in New York City, chefs are proving that creativity can transform scraps into centerpieces. For the second year, Mill’s Make Food Not Waste Restaurant Week (September 29 – October 5, 2025) brings together some of the city’s most acclaimed restaurants—ranging from Michelin-starred dining rooms to beloved neighborhood gems—all united by a single mission: to showcase innovative zero-waste cooking.

Across 21 standout restaurants, chefs are crafting dishes and cocktails that not only highlight their artistry but also reimagine how ingredients are valued. Each creation uses what might otherwise be discarded, demonstrating that sustainability and luxury can coexist on the plate. Here are the must-visit destinations this week for those seeking to experience fine dining with a conscience.

Neighborhood: Crown Heights

A Michelin Bib Gourmand favorite, Agi’s Counter blends Jewish and Eastern European influences into market-driven cuisine. For this week, the spotlight is on Trout and Beets—a butterflied rainbow trout paired with dill pulp pesto, roasted beets, and blue cheese caramelized with honey.

Neighborhood: West Village

Known for its two-star New York Times review, this late-night Bangkok-inspired spot presents Prawn Satay: charcoal-grilled tiger prawns with a cashew butter sauce. The repurposed pickle juice even makes its way into the bar’s inventive A Jard Martini.

Neighborhood: Prospect Heights

One of the New York Times’ “100 Best Restaurants,” Cafe Mado serves Blackened Skate with Summer Sofrito and Carolina Gold Rice. The sofrito gains unexpected depth by slow-roasting and reusing tomato and pepper pulp.

Neighborhood: Industry City

The debut concept from Roberta’s alumni, Confidant, introduces Char Broiled Clams enriched with tomato butter made from garlic and herb scraps, plus breadcrumbs created from leftover loaves.

Neighborhood: Lower Manhattan

A Michelin-starred, James Beard–nominated restaurant honoring Northern Mexican traditions, Corima crafts a Grilled Cuttlefish Sope with pipián sauce derived from liver—showing how whole-ingredient cooking can elevate heritage cuisine.

Neighborhood: Brooklyn

This James Beard–nominated tasting menu brings Nigerian flavors to life with Dodo Ati Ice Cream: fried plantains with brown sugar, paired with vanilla ice cream for a sustainable yet soulful finish.

Neighborhood: Greenwich Village

Chef Mark Ordaz creates a Fish and Chicken Meatball skewered on fishbones and glazed with smoked onion, pear skin, plum scrap, and squash trim stock—proving ingenuity lies in the details at Family Meal at Blue Hill.

Neighborhood: East Village

Led by James Beard–nominated Telly Justice, HAGS transforms mushroom trimmings, seeds, and ferments into Mushroom Grits and Squash Carpaccio. Each element, from mousse to dressing, repurposes what’s often overlooked.

Neighborhood: Williamsburg

This Italian-American institution shakes things up with She Sells Sea Shells, an oyster-infused martini served with its shell, and Catch & Patch, pasta scraps reimagined with anchovy oil and crunch.

Neighborhood: Cobble Hill

The natural wine bar reinvents pantry staples with Brinde de Lisboa, featuring sourdough, tomato jam, and boquerones, crafted from existing ingredients and their byproducts.

Neighborhood: West Village

Famous for its Georgian dumplings, Laliko introduces Topless Khinkali, skipping the traditionally discarded dough handle for a truly waste-free take on the classic.

Neighborhood: West Village

Acclaimed for open-style temaki, Nami Nori presents Butter Poached Lobster Dip with rice chips made from unused sushi rice and shells repurposed into a savory butter.

Neighborhood: Rockefeller Center

From the team behind Atomix and Atoboy, NARO crafts Octopus with Kimchi Porridge, where leftover kimchi juice becomes the dish’s tangy foundation, and vegetable trimmings are transformed into an umami powder.

Neighborhood: Bushwick & East Village

A James Beard Award semifinalist, Ops debuts its Tuscan Kale Rib Calzone, made with herb stems, salami ends, and whey-based ricotta, highlighting thoughtful use of secondary cuts and byproducts.

Neighborhood: Red Hook

From the Agi’s Counter team comes Zero Waste Pineapple Tepache, a fermented soda made with pineapple peels, and a Parmesan Rind Broth with Duck and Egg Noodles, showcasing rind reduction as stock at Pitt’s.

Neighborhood: Clinton Hill

The wine bar makes Fish Bits—charcoal-grilled head, collar, and tail—finished with a sweet-savory glaze and citrus for balance.

Neighborhood: West Village

This Japanese bakery reuses trims in its Mango Verrine, pairing mango and chiffon scraps with diplomat cream.

Neighborhood: Noho

Chef Mary Attea redefines Italian tradition with Passatelli in Parmigiano Reggiano Brodo, utilizing breadcrumbs, rinds, and mushroom trimmings for layered complexity at Raf’s.

Neighborhood: Fort Greene

Returning for its second year, this pioneering zero-waste bar offers Summer Radish Toast, where both radishes and butter are thoughtfully repurposed.

Neighborhood: East Village

A rare three-star New York Times review lauded Smithereens, and for this week, its Fish Head Terrine highlights sea bream, cod, and amberjack heads, creating a dish both intricate and sustainable.

Neighborhood: Greenwich Village

A Michelin-starred destination from Chef Mary Attea, The Musket Room presents Razor Clam, Potato, Leeks, Sourdough Soup. Razor clam shells and scraps are repurposed into a rich stock and clam butter, combined with potatoes and leeks for depth. A crisp crumb of dehydrated sourdough and potato skins finishes the dish, marrying sustainability with refined comfort.

The collective efforts of these 21 restaurants illustrate a transformative approach to dining in New York City—one where waste becomes a canvas for creativity. By reimagining peels, stems, shells, and trims as essential ingredients, chefs are not only crafting distinctive flavors but also setting a precedent for the future of hospitality.

Mill’s Make Food Not Waste Restaurant Week underscores the role that restaurants play in shaping cultural attitudes toward sustainability. Diners leave not only with memorable meals but also with a renewed awareness of the environmental impact of their choices. This event demonstrates that fine dining and mindful resourcefulness are not at odds; together, they create a richer, more responsible way of experiencing food.