A Very Serious Cookbook: Contra Wildair

This is the story of two places beloved by chefs and foodies worldwide – Lower East Side tasting-menu restaurant Contra, and its more casual sister, Wildair. The book exudes the spirit of collaboration and exploration that inspires the chefs’ passionately seasonal cooking style, boundary-pushing creativity, and love of natural wine. Narratives explore how and why they developed their signature dishes – many of which are ideal for creative home cooks – and are full of their distinctive wit and personality.

A Very Serious Cookbook: Contra Wildair includes a foreword by US comedian and wine lover Eric Wareheim; 85 recipes organized into chapters: Always (mainstay, non-seasonal); Sometimes (hyper-seasonal, guest chef collaborations, international travel inspiration); Never (dishes on the menu once, not existent yet, all important); and Pantry. Photos of plated food, the restaurant, its locality, and travel bring the restaurant and its dishes to life.

Contra and Wildair have received several Best New Restaurant nods and major acclaim from the New York Times, Saveur, Bon Appétit, and Eater, among many others.