CAMAJE Press

Good Food Since 1997

Chef/owner Abby's video interview at CAMAJE for turnhere.com

Zagat on CAMAJE, 2013: This "little" Village bistro showcases chef Abigail Hitchcock's "beautifully presented" Franco-American fare ferried by "attentive" staffers in "arty", "laid-back" quaters; added attractions include "intimate cooking classes" and blindfolded "dining in the dark", an "experience unlike any other."

East Hampton Star, Sept 20, 2012

February, 2011 - Check out the great piece Yahoo News did with Abby and our popular
"One Night Stand" Private Cooking Class

March, 2009 NBC News - Check out the piece on Dark Dining at CAMAJE:
"Dark Dining Projects bring a gastronomical experience to New York. You'll have to see it to believe it."

Check out the 2nd issue of "Edible Manahattan" for the cover story on Dark Dining at CAMAJE Bistro!

Zagat's 2009 New York City Restaurant Guide:
Food: 22, Decor: 15, Service: 19, Cost: $35.
"Chef Abigail Hitchcock's "creative menu" supplies a "true foodie experience" at "good value."

Zagat's 2008 : "With the air of a "secret" find on an "out-of-the-way Paris street", this "terrific little" Village bistro's French-American fare comes via a "sweet" staff; it can be a "squeeze", but it's "romantic" for dining a deux; P.S. "try the cooking classes" or don a blindfold for one of their 'Dark Dining' events."
Zagat's 2007: "Quirky" yet "très charmant", this Village bistro delivers "inventive" Franco-American cookery from "superwoman" chef-owner Abigail Hitchcock, who also gives cooking lessons.

March 16, 2008: NY Times: "Sophisticated Takeout": One of Abby's many side projects has been the launching of "Harvest Cart": Accessible Gourmet sm, or as the recent New York Times article calls it, "Sophisticated Takeout." Abby is the Co-Executive Chef (along with Michael Schwartz) and a founder, bringing her love of all food stuff to a menu that is seasonal, local and organic (where possible). The Times found a "subtle sophistication to the food ... [they] create dishes that are comforting, yet with hints of haute cuisine."

Harvest Cart • 133 Morris Street • Jersey City, NJ 07302 • 201-985-1212 harvestcart.com

December 26, 2007: See Eyewitness News' Story on Dark Dining at CAMAJE: "One-by-one the masks go on and the journey into darkness begins. And they'll stay this way for the next two hours as they eat dinner at Camaje Bistro in the Village. ...The sensory deprivation certainly gets you thinking, and it seems to gets plenty of diners touching. To further enhance the mood there's live entertainment. Diners seem to listen a little more closely with the blindfolds on."

October 17, 2007: N.Y. Times' "Dining and Wine" Section: Florence Fabricant lists Dark Dining at CAMAJE under "Haunt Cuisine" for Halloween and Holidays.

July 2007: USA Today: "Who Moved My... ": Dark Dining at CAMAJE:
"...with the arrival of the lights-out concept here, entrepreneurs have given it a distinctive spin by adding performing artists to the mix."

July 2007: NY Times: "Waiter, Im at Your Mercy" :The Sunday New York Time's Travel section explores origins and proliferation of Dark Dining worldwide, including CAMAJE.

July 2007: USA Today: "Getting a Feel for the Feast" : An article describing a reporter's Dark Dining experience at CAMAJE.

June 2007: Travel + Leisure, "Tips From Top Concierges" : Maria Trejo-McDonald, Concierge at the Ritz-Carlton New York, Central Park says, “A really reasonable, charming Village experience that I love is Camaje (85 MacDougal St.; 212/673-8184; dinner for two $70), a tiny French-American bistro. And the chef-owner Abigail Hitchcock gives cooking classes—from Italian to French to Asian.”

May 23, 2007: Ny Post: "TWILIGHT ZONING SACKS SUNNY SEATS"- by Steve Cuozzo - "...because Camaje is a few inches farther south of Bleecker Street than 100 feet - the point at which zoning changes from commercial to residential - it's prohibited from having sidewalk seats. That deprives customers and cheats the restaurant out of the visibility the handful of open-air tables would bring. "
This is a great article highlighting our travails with the zoning nightmare preventing us from providing outdoor seating. Know anyone in high places that can help? If so, please email or call 212 673-8184 and ask for Abby or Jason.

April 16, 2007: New York Observer: "Chef for a Night" David Foxley [One Night Stand] - ..."By making available her [Chef/Owner Abigail Hitchcock's] fully equipped restaurant kitchen, top-notch culinary skills and delightful dining room, groups both large and small gladly cheat on their apartment stoves for this memorable affair... After serving your very own three-course feast, washed down with perfectly paired wines, nothing beats taking home a doggy bag filled with the gratitude of friends and, of course, those newly acquired knife skills."

March 12, 2007: See NY1's piece on Dark Dining.

Feb 25, 2007: Check out NY1's Jill Scott do a piece on our Knife Skills Class - Televised and Online

Feb 5, 2007: "Where to Dine in New York", Relaxed and cozy, sophisticated and seductive... Camaje is all this and more. Unique and inventive, Chef Abigail Hitchcock offers a warm spirit to go along with her superb cuisine. Abigail offers one of New York's finest cooking classes several days each week with a different type of cuisine featured.
View complete article

Dec 10, 2006: CAMAJE listed in Gawker.com's hip NYC Holiday Party Guide (#32).

Dec 1, 2006: Watch Abby on "Real Food with Father Jim" on TelicareTV and click on "Real Food with Father Jim" -also, check out her recipes there or here.

Oct 10, 2006: ZAGAT'S 2007 Guide Recognizes Chef Abigail Hitchcock as "Superwoman"!

July 25, 2006: Abby receives Sommelier Certification

June 5, 2006: See Abby tour her favorite spots in West Village Foodie

May 17, 2006: Abby's interview at CAMAJE for turnhere.com

March 22, 2006: WNBC, "Wednesday's Child: Meet Bryant"

March 15, 2006: Fort Worth Star-Telegram, "Dining in the Dark Inspires Blind Devotion"

March 10, 2006: Naples Daily News, "Dark Dining Lets You Taste But Not See"

March 7, 2006: HDNet, "Deadline!"

March 2, 2006: Hartford Courant, "For Tea Lovers"

March 2, 2006: Buzzle, "In the Dark About Planning a Romantic Evening? Here's an Idea!"

March 1, 2006: New York Post, "It's a Cookout"

February 22, 2006: Columbia News Service, "Dark Dining: A New Way to Eat, Without Seeing the Food"