19 replies to this topic

[bonitobroth]

Dressler is the latest restaurant from Williamsburg mogul Colin Devlin, who also owns DuMont and its offshoot DuMont Burger. If you've been to DuMont, you'll have a good idea of what the menu is like: well-prepared new American, with market-driven florishes. In fact some of their best appetizers (crispy artichoke and white bean salad; spring pea raviolini; stropazetti with lamb ragu) were constants on DuMont's specials menu last year.

This is not cutting-edge food, but if you like the Collicchio school of cooking (the chefs are both Gramercy Tavern alums) you won't be disappointed. Things I've liked: the center-cut pork chop with fresh bacon (pork belly); the red snapper (in a ginger broth with bok choy and flowering chives). My favorite was the duck, which you get as a seared breast and a braised leg, with a variety of fresh vegetables on the side. Even the roast chicken was good, and made more enticing by what comes with it -- fiddlehead ferns when my friend had it.

I thought the deserts were very good too. The peanut-butter-chocolate parfait appealed to the kid in me, but there was no denying it was really delicious. There's a nice lemon tart, and a kafir lime creme brulee, which was good even though the lime was underplayed. I liked the rhubard crumble, which Bruni did not.

The space is just gorgeous. High ceilings, with beautiful tiles on the floor and leather booths lining the walls. But the metalwork is what makes Dressler so special. On the walls, behind the bar, the chandeliers, all made to look like vegetation but with really cute (whimsical is the word everyone uses, which is on the money) little details in it that you won't even notice unless you really look close.

Service has been very good, exceptional if you consider it's in Williamsburg; and they keep the music (which skews more towards Django than indie rock) at a level that allows conversation. It's a real class act.

Dressler is across the street (and down a bit) from Peter Luger, and a block and a half from Marlow & Sons making this the best eating strip in the WB.

Dressler
149 Broadway ( at Bedford Avenue)
Williamsburg, Brooklyn
(718) 384-6343

Bruni gives it two stars.

Gael Greene likes it too.

Andrea Strong says owner Devlin "has the effortless good looks of a young Paul Newman." (And from my experience, he's a nice guy.)

[Abbylovi]

Thank you!

[Steve R.]

This is not cutting-edge food, but if you like the Collicchio school of cooking (the chefs are both Gramercy Tavern alums) you won't be disappointed.... My favorite was the duck, which you get as a seared breast and a braised leg, with a variety of fresh vegetables on the side.

Went on Monday night. We were able to make reservations with some minor negotiations as to the exact time a table would be available. Settled on 8:15 but got there at 7:30 to sit at the bar and hang out. Nice bar, good drinks. Place was full from the time we got there till we left around 10pm. We were seated promptly at 8:10. Service was very friendly, from the bartenders to the manager, but was efficient and more "proper" than the usual Williamsburg setting. Of course, 25% of the place were in shorts but, hey, welcome to Brooklyn.

The pseudo-challah and the hard crusted rolls were both good and served individually off a tray. The wine list had 4-5 each by the glass selections of white and red & a couple of nice rose's. I had a rose and then a cab.sauv./zin combo that was good and Ginny had a sparkling rose then a syrah that were also fine. All around $10/glass. The spring pea raviolini were excellent but Ginny's app. of Pan Roasted Scallops w/mache and citrus had waaay too much grapefruit. The scallops, however, were very very good. Ginny had Wild Striped Bass w/swiss chard, some potatoes, bacon, leeks and cockles which proved to be a major winner. I'm liking bacon with fish more and more. I had (and really liked) the duck which, as bonitobroth said, is a signature dish there. A couple of espressos, no dessert. About $125 with good tip. Drinks at the bar were another $30 or so. Well worth it and we'll remember to go back.

By the way, I fully agree with bonitobroth's assessment of the cooking style. Nothing earthshattering but the feeling of eating well thought out & prepared food that tastes good. I'd put it in my top 15 in Brooklyn, below my favorites like al di la, River Cafe, Tempo, Henry's End, & Chestnut, but alongside Applewood, Boullabaisse, Queen, etc.

[flyfish]

Not this Dressler, I trust.

Fly

[Steve R.]

Not this Dressler, I trust.

Fly

Nope. But, since you're interested, this from their website :

"Dressler was named for the character Martin Dressler, the title character of a book by author Steven Millhauser, entitled, Martin Dressler, The Tale of an American Dreamer. The book, which won the 1997 Pulitzer Prize for Fiction, happens to be one of Colin Devlin’s favorite books and describes the life and times of Martin Dressler, the son of a cigar maker in late 19th Century New York who immerses himself in the world of hotels and service, achieves monumental successes and is ultimately undone by the grandiosity of his singular and unique vision".

[nuxvomica]

As bonito and Steve R said – pretty room, good food, great service (and our group was a touch challenging the other night). Good ciabatta rolls and the kind of wine service I love to see – wine by the glass poured at the table so you can see the label, taste, etc. Multiple tastes offered willingly.

The food was good to very good and I thought the apps were esp. wonderful – the quail was a favorite – very intense and rich, but I also loved the rabbit ragout with gnocchi and ricotta and the lobster bisque was quite good. The braised short rib was heavy and uninspired, although the parsnip puree and onions served with it were rather good.

Entrees were a touch less impressive – large portions but the highly recommended (by waiter) roasted chicken was a bit dry. The ricotta ravioli was nice (but not particularly memorable) and the duck (roasted breast and braised leg) with escarole and mushroom risotto was quite good too. Enjoyed the apple tart for dessert.

The side of onion rings was forgotten (arrived later, taken off the check) and our waiter seemed to disappear for close to 15 minutes but it was overall a nice dinner and experience.

[Abbylovi]

I've only made it to the bar where the charming bartender nearly succeeded in selling me his car. No, not really but just a testament to him and his skillz.

[Rail Paul]

Eater notes that rents are up, and revenues are down. Never a good combination for a restaurant.

Dressler

[oakapple]

Eater notes that rents are up, and revenues are down. Never a good combination for a restaurant.
Dressler

Actually, it didn't say that the rent was up, only that it was astronomical.

[porkwah]

I've only made it to the bar where the charming bartender nearly succeeded in selling me his car. No, not really but just a testament to him and his skillz.

Do you want to buy my car?

[Abbylovi]

I've only made it to the bar where the charming bartender nearly succeeded in selling me his car. No, not really but just a testament to him and his skillz.

Do you want to buy my car?

No, sorry, the State of New York says I can't drive right now.

[Sneakeater]

Wait. There's this shockingly good value in New York, and I don't hear anyone talking about it.

You can go to Dressler, and eat off the regular carte, and pay about $60 for three courses.

OR, you can get the tasting menu. Five well-chosen courses (you get to choose among two or three items per course) -- there's nothing on the carte you miss -- for $45. Five courses for $45? Yep, you heard me. (I kept saying to my date tonight, "look, I'm not trying to be cheap. But compare that menu with this menu, and tell me what makes sense to you. Really.")

The food here is far from earth-shattering (and one hopes that the NYT regime that awarded a solid respectable neighborhood place like this two stars is over). But as others have already noted, it's very well-conceived -- most dishes have an unexpected philip, and none of them seems forced or ill-advised -- and also very well-executed. Certainly worth $45 for five courses (you've heard about that, right?).

The wine list is narrow and basically boring. But, happily, they have the perfect wine to go with a modest five-course, fish-and-meat tasting menu: Clos Delorme, which I've discussed in the wine section and am happy to recommend again here.

Except for the $45 five-course tasting menu (I've mentioned that, right?), I wouldn't be telling you to make sure you get yourself to Williamsburg to try this place. But really, for $45 for five good courses (OK, I'll stop), why eat at home?

[AaronS]

I had the tasting menu a couple of months ago and was pretty disappointed. While it seems like a bargain at first what I had was extremely simple and didn't show much thought or effort from the kitchen, so much so that I thought it wasn't really a bargain by the end of the meal. Maybe it's gotten better. Going by that meal I would say it is easily the worst restaurant in New York with a Michelin star. The room is nice though.

[taion]

Except for the $45 five-course tasting menu (I've mentioned that, right?), I wouldn't be telling you to make sure you get yourself to Williamsburg to try this place. But really, for $45 for five good courses (OK, I'll stop), why eat at home?

Well, sure, but you can also just go to the East Village and get essentially the same deal at Knife + Fork, Degustation, or Jack's Luxury Oyster Bar. 5 or 6 course tastings in the $50 range don't seem that uncommon, at least around the parts I frequent.

[Sneakeater]

Putting Degustation aside as perhaps the most underrated (or disregarded) restaurant in New York (and also putting aside Jack's, which I just don't like), it's interesting to compare Dressler to Knife + Fork. I always get the feeling in Knife + Fork that the kitchen is overreaching. Sometimes that's interesting, and sometimes it's even charming -- but I never find it really satisfying.

Dressler will never be interesting. But in the end I think I prefer its rather boring accomplishment to a place with higher ambitions that I don't think it's reaching.

PS -- I think "worst NYC restaurant with a Michelin star" may be a pretty tight race. But Dressler is certainly toward the lead there.