Spritzenhaus
33 Nassau Ave
(between Berry St & 14th St)
Spritzenhaus may be one of the most misunderstood drinking establishments in the better borough of Brooklyn, by both its customers and owners.
Contrary to recent reviews, Spritzenhaus has a solid draft and beer selection, more comprehensive and eclectic than the more popular Bohemian Beer Hall and Studio Square in Queens, Berry Park in Brooklyn, and Loreley in Manhattan.
German lagers are the focus point of the "Spritzen" in Spritzenhaus: besides your Weihenstephaners Weizen, Spatens Pils, and Goffel Kolsch on tap, there is Hofstetten Kubelbier Kellerbier, Einbecker Mai-Ur-Bock, and Schlenkerla Marzen, selections only available at dedicated beer programs at restaurants.
The Teutonic-ness further extends to their German bottle list, with hard-to-find stateside labels like Arcobrau, Reltberger Kloster, and Schoenramer making appearances in several styles.
If you decide to ante up, there are some stars (albeit pricey ones) on the beer menu: Del Borgo Reale ($38), Etienne Dupont Bouche Brut de Normandie ($38), Saint Bon de Chien Biere de Garde ($55).
What Spritzenhaus gets fundamentally wrong is its connection to its neighborhood. A 6,000 sq. ft., Keith McNally-esque bierhall couldn't help but be looked at with skepticism by the Greenpoint locals, despite the obvious effort put into the project.
Most popular (not necessarily equatable with good) beer halls have built their locations with their neighborhood demographics in mind: Studio Square reflects the aspirant douchiness of Long Island City, Bohemian Beer Hall embodies the Eastern European history of Queens, and Berry Park and Radegast capture the lo-fi, communal drinking of Greenpoint and Williamsburg. In terms of the owners, what lead them to plonk money into a project where there are already two other fairly decent competitors in the area is beyond me. Spritzenhaus will definitely not serve as Harvard Businesss School case study material anytime soon.
Unfortunately, Spritzenhaus will be remembered not for its aspiring German beer program, but a wary reminder of the most important tenet of Real Estate 101: choose your location carefully.
Sunday, August 7, 2011
Tuesday, August 2, 2011
Beecher's Handmade Cheeses
Beecher's Handmade Cheeses
900 Broadway (between 19th St & 20th St)
New York, NY 10003
Depending on your viewpoint, Beecher's recent opening has contributed to the Flatiron District's reputation as the new culinary hotspot, or the Epcot Center-ization of food in Gramercy.
Whether it was wise to enter a long-term lease for a multi-million dollar location in one of NYC's trendiest neighborhoods, Beecher's Handmade Cheeses nevertheless is an addition to Madison Square area that is become a burgeoning foodie destintation.
The store specializes in their eponymous cheeses (Beecher Flagship, Flagship 4-year, Marco Polo, No Woman, and Flagsheep), but also specialty cheeses and charcuterie purveyors across the United States. The space is vast, with several retail counters on the ground floor to sample cheeses, charcuterie, and prepared foods, adequate seating for lunch and dinner upstairs, and a cellar of a bar in the basement. Beecher's offers free samples of all their cheeses, but this is a normal courtesy offered at many of the premier NYC cheesemongers.
I went down to the Cellar Bar and had a side-by-side comparison of Beecher's (Flagship, Flagship 4-year, Flagsheep) vs. the other cheesemonger's (Mozzarella Co's Hoja Santa/Jasper Hill Farm's Moses Sleeper/Wisconsin Sheep Dairy Coop) cheeses.
Regarding Beecher's selections, I was impressed by the nuttiness and funkiness of the 4-year Flagship, but let down by the lack of distinguishable flavors in the Flagship and Flagsheep.
The Cheesemonger's selection was considerably more impressive. The Wisconsin Sheep Dairy Coop's sheep cheese trumped Beecher's Flagsheep with it's saltiness, pungency, and earthiness. Jasper Hill's Moses Sleeper (cow's milk, aged 3-6 weeks) had the buttery, bright, savory flavor associated with cow's milk, but the bloomy rindness of a brie. The Hoja Santa (goat cheese wrapped in hoja santa leaves) was a revelation: the tanginess of goat cheese played off minty, earthiness of hoja santa leaves like a bow to a Stradavarius violin.
The sides offered with the cheese plates are not to be missed. Beecher's biscuits have a slightly sweet, wheaty taste that complements most cheeses. The pickled raisins provided a nice foil to some of the tangier goat and sheep's cheeses. And the pickled fennel stems might be my new favorite bar snack in all of NYC, with the vinegar notes providing a subtle facelift to the anise in the freshly shaved fennel.
Despite the quality cheeses, I was disappointed by the lack of in-depth knowledge about the cheeses by the staff. I admit I am a particularly picky consumer, but for a store that features regional cheese, it's important to know not just whether it came from a cow, sheep, or goat, but how it was produced, and where it came from.
Beecher's is the new kid on the cheese block, and I wish it the best of success. After running into Kurt Beecher (who has an uncanny likeness to Eastbound and Down's Kenny Powers) upon leaving the store, I couldn't help but think how he has vastly underestimated how ruthlessly competitive the NYC fromagerie market has become since his visit to NYC in 2008. If it is going to make its mark just like it did in Seattle, it will have to step up the quality of its cheeses and staff education to compete against the likes of Murray's, Saxelby's, and Artisanal.
900 Broadway (between 19th St & 20th St)
New York, NY 10003
Depending on your viewpoint, Beecher's recent opening has contributed to the Flatiron District's reputation as the new culinary hotspot, or the Epcot Center-ization of food in Gramercy.
Whether it was wise to enter a long-term lease for a multi-million dollar location in one of NYC's trendiest neighborhoods, Beecher's Handmade Cheeses nevertheless is an addition to Madison Square area that is become a burgeoning foodie destintation.
The store specializes in their eponymous cheeses (Beecher Flagship, Flagship 4-year, Marco Polo, No Woman, and Flagsheep), but also specialty cheeses and charcuterie purveyors across the United States. The space is vast, with several retail counters on the ground floor to sample cheeses, charcuterie, and prepared foods, adequate seating for lunch and dinner upstairs, and a cellar of a bar in the basement. Beecher's offers free samples of all their cheeses, but this is a normal courtesy offered at many of the premier NYC cheesemongers.
I went down to the Cellar Bar and had a side-by-side comparison of Beecher's (Flagship, Flagship 4-year, Flagsheep) vs. the other cheesemonger's (Mozzarella Co's Hoja Santa/Jasper Hill Farm's Moses Sleeper/Wisconsin Sheep Dairy Coop) cheeses.
Regarding Beecher's selections, I was impressed by the nuttiness and funkiness of the 4-year Flagship, but let down by the lack of distinguishable flavors in the Flagship and Flagsheep.
The Cheesemonger's selection was considerably more impressive. The Wisconsin Sheep Dairy Coop's sheep cheese trumped Beecher's Flagsheep with it's saltiness, pungency, and earthiness. Jasper Hill's Moses Sleeper (cow's milk, aged 3-6 weeks) had the buttery, bright, savory flavor associated with cow's milk, but the bloomy rindness of a brie. The Hoja Santa (goat cheese wrapped in hoja santa leaves) was a revelation: the tanginess of goat cheese played off minty, earthiness of hoja santa leaves like a bow to a Stradavarius violin.
The sides offered with the cheese plates are not to be missed. Beecher's biscuits have a slightly sweet, wheaty taste that complements most cheeses. The pickled raisins provided a nice foil to some of the tangier goat and sheep's cheeses. And the pickled fennel stems might be my new favorite bar snack in all of NYC, with the vinegar notes providing a subtle facelift to the anise in the freshly shaved fennel.
Despite the quality cheeses, I was disappointed by the lack of in-depth knowledge about the cheeses by the staff. I admit I am a particularly picky consumer, but for a store that features regional cheese, it's important to know not just whether it came from a cow, sheep, or goat, but how it was produced, and where it came from.
Beecher's is the new kid on the cheese block, and I wish it the best of success. After running into Kurt Beecher (who has an uncanny likeness to Eastbound and Down's Kenny Powers) upon leaving the store, I couldn't help but think how he has vastly underestimated how ruthlessly competitive the NYC fromagerie market has become since his visit to NYC in 2008. If it is going to make its mark just like it did in Seattle, it will have to step up the quality of its cheeses and staff education to compete against the likes of Murray's, Saxelby's, and Artisanal.
Rosenthal Wine Merchants
Rosenthal Wine Merchants
318 E 84th Street
New York, NY 10028
For wine aficionados everywhere (including myself), there were inevitably two books that induced the wine bug: Kermit Lynch's "Adventures on the Wine Route" and Neal Rosenthal's "Reflections of a Wine Merchant". Both told the stories of wine explorers searching Europe for wines that express a particular terroir and philosophy of winemaking.
Rosenthal Wine Merchants specializes exclusively in European wines, predominantly France and Italy. The absence of foot-traffic is misleading: the store does a brisk business from numerous wholesale and individual orders from those who know that a Rosenthal label on the back of a wine bottle (rather than a Yellow Tail on the front) indicates sterling quality.
As a forewarning, this is not a wine store for novices. The store has rather inconvenient hours (Tuesday - Saturday; 10-6 or 10-7pm). Regions are not delineated, prices aren't marked, and there are no tasting notes to be found. However, there are gems to be found under $30 with some diligent perusing: a Lucien Crochet Sancerre, a De Forville Langhe Nebbiolo, or a Jacques Puffeney Arbois.
It is worth taking a trip and meeting Will, the proprietor of this hidden retail location on 84th St. A business acquaintance from the late 70s, Will has a commanding knowledge of Rosenthal Wine Merchant's inventory and almost every vintage of Burgundy and Piedmont. For someone who has been in the business for nearly 40 years, Will bequeathed some useful advice regarding wine: there are no shortcuts for gaining experience.
318 E 84th Street
New York, NY 10028
For wine aficionados everywhere (including myself), there were inevitably two books that induced the wine bug: Kermit Lynch's "Adventures on the Wine Route" and Neal Rosenthal's "Reflections of a Wine Merchant". Both told the stories of wine explorers searching Europe for wines that express a particular terroir and philosophy of winemaking.
Rosenthal Wine Merchants specializes exclusively in European wines, predominantly France and Italy. The absence of foot-traffic is misleading: the store does a brisk business from numerous wholesale and individual orders from those who know that a Rosenthal label on the back of a wine bottle (rather than a Yellow Tail on the front) indicates sterling quality.
As a forewarning, this is not a wine store for novices. The store has rather inconvenient hours (Tuesday - Saturday; 10-6 or 10-7pm). Regions are not delineated, prices aren't marked, and there are no tasting notes to be found. However, there are gems to be found under $30 with some diligent perusing: a Lucien Crochet Sancerre, a De Forville Langhe Nebbiolo, or a Jacques Puffeney Arbois.
It is worth taking a trip and meeting Will, the proprietor of this hidden retail location on 84th St. A business acquaintance from the late 70s, Will has a commanding knowledge of Rosenthal Wine Merchant's inventory and almost every vintage of Burgundy and Piedmont. For someone who has been in the business for nearly 40 years, Will bequeathed some useful advice regarding wine: there are no shortcuts for gaining experience.
Friday, July 22, 2011
Blueprint
Blueprint
196 5th Avenue
Brooklyn, NY 11215.
The Source and Vibe magazine initially gave Jay-Z's Blueprint 5 stars; I'll be the first to review the Blueprint in Park Slope and give it 2 stars.
Blueprint attempts to be an elegant cocktail bar, but its execution falls off the mark. It adopts Weatherup's philosophy of sticking to the basic cocktails and listing the primary ingredients; however, for the cocktail enthusiast, although the menu reprises many cocktail classics, they aren't particularly inspired, nor are they any good.
For a bar that recently opened, I want to give it the benefit of the doubt. However, all the cocktails I had on the menu lacked balance and had noticeable faults. I would attempt to attribute it to an off night, but my drinks were made by two separate bartenders.
The Oaxacan (Los Nahaules mezcal, buckwheat honey, fresh lime, cinnamon) left my mouth with an acidic tang: too much lime juice overwhelmed any smokiness of mezcal, spiciness from the cinnamon, and earthy sweetness from the buckwheat honey.
The High and Dry (Rittenhouse Rye, Vya dry vermouth, fennel bitters, Ricard, burnt orange twist) was even worse, with the spicy, alcoholic sweetness of the Rittenhouse rye whiskey left as an initial afterthought the old cocktail stand, Rittenhouse Rye, overpowered by the bitter herbalness of too much Pernod Ricard and fennel bitters.
The Swedish Monk (Beefeater gin, Kopparberg pear cider, Chartreuse, soda, and lime was the worst of all. Too much soda water stifled the delicate interplay of sweet pear cider, delicately pungent Beefeater 24 gin, and herbal chartreuse.
As an afternote, they have a modest, but ridiculously overpriced selection of wines by the glass. Do as one should do in Park Slope, and stick with the bottled and draft beer.
196 5th Avenue
Brooklyn, NY 11215.
The Source and Vibe magazine initially gave Jay-Z's Blueprint 5 stars; I'll be the first to review the Blueprint in Park Slope and give it 2 stars.
Blueprint attempts to be an elegant cocktail bar, but its execution falls off the mark. It adopts Weatherup's philosophy of sticking to the basic cocktails and listing the primary ingredients; however, for the cocktail enthusiast, although the menu reprises many cocktail classics, they aren't particularly inspired, nor are they any good.
For a bar that recently opened, I want to give it the benefit of the doubt. However, all the cocktails I had on the menu lacked balance and had noticeable faults. I would attempt to attribute it to an off night, but my drinks were made by two separate bartenders.
The Oaxacan (Los Nahaules mezcal, buckwheat honey, fresh lime, cinnamon) left my mouth with an acidic tang: too much lime juice overwhelmed any smokiness of mezcal, spiciness from the cinnamon, and earthy sweetness from the buckwheat honey.
The High and Dry (Rittenhouse Rye, Vya dry vermouth, fennel bitters, Ricard, burnt orange twist) was even worse, with the spicy, alcoholic sweetness of the Rittenhouse rye whiskey left as an initial afterthought the old cocktail stand, Rittenhouse Rye, overpowered by the bitter herbalness of too much Pernod Ricard and fennel bitters.
The Swedish Monk (Beefeater gin, Kopparberg pear cider, Chartreuse, soda, and lime was the worst of all. Too much soda water stifled the delicate interplay of sweet pear cider, delicately pungent Beefeater 24 gin, and herbal chartreuse.
As an afternote, they have a modest, but ridiculously overpriced selection of wines by the glass. Do as one should do in Park Slope, and stick with the bottled and draft beer.
Friday, July 15, 2011
Dogfish Head Brewery
Dogfish Head Craft Brewery
6 Cannery Village Center
Milton, DE 19968
As much as I have great respect for the off-centered, hop-driven ales that Dogfish Head produces, I have a little more respect for Sam Calagione, founder and head of the 11th largest craft brewer in the United States.
Sam Calagione’s ascent to Brew Master was more fortuitous than engineered. After being inspired by the craft beer selection at the now-defunct Mexican restaurant he used to waiter at near Columbia University, he started a brewpub/restaurant in Rehoboth Beach, DE without knowing that it was illegal to start a distillery under Delaware State law. At the last minute, he single-handedly got legislation changed before it opened.
Dogfish Head’s reputation has always been driven by using innovative ingredients in their beer, but unfortunately, the selections on tap on my brewery tour did not reflect this. After the didactic and somewhat stultifying half-hour brewery tour, the bar only offered samples of four beers -- Shelter Pale Ale, 60 Minute, 90 Minute, and 120 Minute IPA – as refreshment for enduring a dull lecture. This was even more disappointing given the fact that these beers are readily available year-round at most East Coast bars.
Nevertheless, it was fascinating to see a horizontal flight of their hopped-beers. While the Shelter Pale Ale and 60 Minute IPA were good session beers, and 90 Minute a robust, but quaffable IPA, the 120 Minute IPA was in the infamous words of Brooklyn Brewery brewmaster Garrett Oliver “unbalanced and shrieking.”
If you want greater exposure to their more limited-edition beers, you need to travel to their brewpub/restaurant in Reboboth Beach. There you can get customizable samplers of their regular and limited edition beers such as Festina Peche (peach-flavored Berliner Weisse) and Namaste (lemon-grass flavored witbier). No Dogfish Head experience is complete without a hit from Randall the Enamel Animal, a stainless steel water filter that adds an extra dose of hoppiness to an already hoppy 90 Minute IPA, which strangely enough is absent from the brewery tour.
6 Cannery Village Center
Milton, DE 19968
As much as I have great respect for the off-centered, hop-driven ales that Dogfish Head produces, I have a little more respect for Sam Calagione, founder and head of the 11th largest craft brewer in the United States.
Sam Calagione’s ascent to Brew Master was more fortuitous than engineered. After being inspired by the craft beer selection at the now-defunct Mexican restaurant he used to waiter at near Columbia University, he started a brewpub/restaurant in Rehoboth Beach, DE without knowing that it was illegal to start a distillery under Delaware State law. At the last minute, he single-handedly got legislation changed before it opened.
Dogfish Head’s reputation has always been driven by using innovative ingredients in their beer, but unfortunately, the selections on tap on my brewery tour did not reflect this. After the didactic and somewhat stultifying half-hour brewery tour, the bar only offered samples of four beers -- Shelter Pale Ale, 60 Minute, 90 Minute, and 120 Minute IPA – as refreshment for enduring a dull lecture. This was even more disappointing given the fact that these beers are readily available year-round at most East Coast bars.
Nevertheless, it was fascinating to see a horizontal flight of their hopped-beers. While the Shelter Pale Ale and 60 Minute IPA were good session beers, and 90 Minute a robust, but quaffable IPA, the 120 Minute IPA was in the infamous words of Brooklyn Brewery brewmaster Garrett Oliver “unbalanced and shrieking.”
If you want greater exposure to their more limited-edition beers, you need to travel to their brewpub/restaurant in Reboboth Beach. There you can get customizable samplers of their regular and limited edition beers such as Festina Peche (peach-flavored Berliner Weisse) and Namaste (lemon-grass flavored witbier). No Dogfish Head experience is complete without a hit from Randall the Enamel Animal, a stainless steel water filter that adds an extra dose of hoppiness to an already hoppy 90 Minute IPA, which strangely enough is absent from the brewery tour.
Flying Dog Brewery
Flying Dog Brewery
4607 Wedgewood Blvd.
Frederick, MD 21703
Since seeing Flying Dog Brewery's gonzo, post-apocalpytic art festooned on the walls of Bierkraft, my favorite specialty beer retail shop in Brooklyn, I have been intrigued by the brand and its beer. I decided to take advantage of a recent change in Maryland state beer laws, and visited where the method meets the madness.
After touring several breweries, you realize they are one-in-the-same, and it is more about connecting with the philosophy of the individual brewery than anything else. (Also drinking good beer is a primary motivator.)
The tour of Flying Dog followed a similar routine: views of mash tun where they seep the barley, the lauter tun where they separate the wort, the fermentation tank where the yeast is added, and the bar where they serve the beer.
For $5, they allow you five different 3-4 oz. samples from the taps on hand. Fortunately, Flying Dog had most of the limited releases that are hard to find at retail and on taps: Gonzo Imperial Porter (regular and barrel-aged versions), Double Dog Double Pale Ale, Raging Bitch Belgian-Style Imperial IPA, DOGtoberfest, and Centennial Single-Hop IPA.
I found the history of Flying Dog considerably more interesting than the tour itself. George Stranahan, bon vivant and heir to the Champion spark plug fortune, gets the inspiration to start a brewpub in Aspen, CO upon seeing an image of a dog with wings at a Pakistani hotel bar after an ill-advised, ill-fated, and marijuana-induced climb of K2, one of the most dangerous ascents in all of the Himalayas. Several years after starting the brewpub, through his equally gonzo friend Hunter S. Thompson, he connects with artist Ralph Steadman, illustator of Thompson's literary works and soon-to-be demented genius behind Flying Dog's art.
The tour was passable, and the beer was decent. But if I had a single takeaways from my Flying Dog tour: sometime you (literally) have to get high to get inspiration for a truly great idea.
4607 Wedgewood Blvd.
Frederick, MD 21703
Since seeing Flying Dog Brewery's gonzo, post-apocalpytic art festooned on the walls of Bierkraft, my favorite specialty beer retail shop in Brooklyn, I have been intrigued by the brand and its beer. I decided to take advantage of a recent change in Maryland state beer laws, and visited where the method meets the madness.
After touring several breweries, you realize they are one-in-the-same, and it is more about connecting with the philosophy of the individual brewery than anything else. (Also drinking good beer is a primary motivator.)
The tour of Flying Dog followed a similar routine: views of mash tun where they seep the barley, the lauter tun where they separate the wort, the fermentation tank where the yeast is added, and the bar where they serve the beer.
For $5, they allow you five different 3-4 oz. samples from the taps on hand. Fortunately, Flying Dog had most of the limited releases that are hard to find at retail and on taps: Gonzo Imperial Porter (regular and barrel-aged versions), Double Dog Double Pale Ale, Raging Bitch Belgian-Style Imperial IPA, DOGtoberfest, and Centennial Single-Hop IPA.
I found the history of Flying Dog considerably more interesting than the tour itself. George Stranahan, bon vivant and heir to the Champion spark plug fortune, gets the inspiration to start a brewpub in Aspen, CO upon seeing an image of a dog with wings at a Pakistani hotel bar after an ill-advised, ill-fated, and marijuana-induced climb of K2, one of the most dangerous ascents in all of the Himalayas. Several years after starting the brewpub, through his equally gonzo friend Hunter S. Thompson, he connects with artist Ralph Steadman, illustator of Thompson's literary works and soon-to-be demented genius behind Flying Dog's art.
The tour was passable, and the beer was decent. But if I had a single takeaways from my Flying Dog tour: sometime you (literally) have to get high to get inspiration for a truly great idea.
Friday, July 8, 2011
Boulud Sud
Boulud Sud
20 W 64th St
(between W Central Park & Broadway)
Manhattan, NY 10023
Besides Daniel Boulud, DB stands for doing it better.
In recent years, DB has adapted to the economic times and has adopted the upscale, casual dining concept that Keith McNally had perfected (Balthazar, Schiller's Liquor Bar) with Bar Boulud and recently, Boulud Sud. Unlike McNally, the food at Boulud's brasseries are not merely an afterthought to the location and ambience.
The dining room feels like being on a cruise liner on the Mediterreanean: gently curving whitewashed ceilings, recessed lightning, and the primly dressed waitstaff provide a light and airy background for the meal-at-hand.
I promptly skipped the overpriced wine-by-the-glass list and I started out with a Jenlain Biere de Mars, a versatile French saison whose hints of malt and peppery notes blend well with land, sea, and garden-driven menu.
Although slightly overcoooked, the pan-seared Octopus a la Plancha was seasoned well with some paprika and harissa oil. The chickpea paste, marcona almonds, and sherry vinegar all provided good textural contrasts with the meatiness of this dish.
More a nod to Bar Boulud next door, the Rabbit Porchetta gives rise to my theory that the Lyonnaise find it next to impossible to mess up charcuterie. Unctuous, gamy, and meaty, this wonderful dish was brightened by some thinly shaved pencil asparagus and a couple dots of basil oil.
The Harira Soup would be what the Moroccans would envision chicken soup, but replacing the pieces of poulet and shards of noodle were little fideos and dabs of cinnamon- and cardamom-spiced meat balls and little fideos in addition to the mirepoix-ed vegetables. Homely, satisfying, but brilliantly complex, I cannot look at matzo ball soup in the same way again.
As a palate cleanser between savory and dessert, the bartender offered me a cocktail that he was tweaking for the menu: Watermelon, Rum, Lime Juice, and a bit ouzo. Although it could have used a savory component, the drink takes ice sculpture to a new level, with a 2" spherical ball comprised of frozen and strained watermelon puree, watermelon rind, and ice. Besides being beautiful to look at, it keep the cocktail cool, and adds another fruity element to the drink with the melting of the watermelon puree.
For dessert, I started off with a Macvin du Jura, a dessert wine from the oft-neglected French region made from Pinot Noir. It's one of the few dessert wines that has the acidity to play off citrus-dominated dessert dishes such as the Grapefrui Givre I ordered. I hardly recommend going to a restaurant to only order dessert, but this is one of sheer pastry genius. A grapefruit half is scopped out, filled with grapefruit sorbet, piped with sesame mousse, mixed with grapefruit segments and rose louloum, and garnished with an almond tuile and halvah cotton candy. Like a Ferran Adria dish, you'd expect the contrasting textures and flavors to deconstruct, but somehow the acid from the grape fruit harmoniously blends together with the savory sesame, halvah, and loukoum.
Screw Josephina and Cafe Fiorello: DB just conquered the Lincoln Center restaurant scene by doing it better.
20 W 64th St
(between W Central Park & Broadway)
Manhattan, NY 10023
Besides Daniel Boulud, DB stands for doing it better.
In recent years, DB has adapted to the economic times and has adopted the upscale, casual dining concept that Keith McNally had perfected (Balthazar, Schiller's Liquor Bar) with Bar Boulud and recently, Boulud Sud. Unlike McNally, the food at Boulud's brasseries are not merely an afterthought to the location and ambience.
The dining room feels like being on a cruise liner on the Mediterreanean: gently curving whitewashed ceilings, recessed lightning, and the primly dressed waitstaff provide a light and airy background for the meal-at-hand.
I promptly skipped the overpriced wine-by-the-glass list and I started out with a Jenlain Biere de Mars, a versatile French saison whose hints of malt and peppery notes blend well with land, sea, and garden-driven menu.
Although slightly overcoooked, the pan-seared Octopus a la Plancha was seasoned well with some paprika and harissa oil. The chickpea paste, marcona almonds, and sherry vinegar all provided good textural contrasts with the meatiness of this dish.
More a nod to Bar Boulud next door, the Rabbit Porchetta gives rise to my theory that the Lyonnaise find it next to impossible to mess up charcuterie. Unctuous, gamy, and meaty, this wonderful dish was brightened by some thinly shaved pencil asparagus and a couple dots of basil oil.
The Harira Soup would be what the Moroccans would envision chicken soup, but replacing the pieces of poulet and shards of noodle were little fideos and dabs of cinnamon- and cardamom-spiced meat balls and little fideos in addition to the mirepoix-ed vegetables. Homely, satisfying, but brilliantly complex, I cannot look at matzo ball soup in the same way again.
As a palate cleanser between savory and dessert, the bartender offered me a cocktail that he was tweaking for the menu: Watermelon, Rum, Lime Juice, and a bit ouzo. Although it could have used a savory component, the drink takes ice sculpture to a new level, with a 2" spherical ball comprised of frozen and strained watermelon puree, watermelon rind, and ice. Besides being beautiful to look at, it keep the cocktail cool, and adds another fruity element to the drink with the melting of the watermelon puree.
For dessert, I started off with a Macvin du Jura, a dessert wine from the oft-neglected French region made from Pinot Noir. It's one of the few dessert wines that has the acidity to play off citrus-dominated dessert dishes such as the Grapefrui Givre I ordered. I hardly recommend going to a restaurant to only order dessert, but this is one of sheer pastry genius. A grapefruit half is scopped out, filled with grapefruit sorbet, piped with sesame mousse, mixed with grapefruit segments and rose louloum, and garnished with an almond tuile and halvah cotton candy. Like a Ferran Adria dish, you'd expect the contrasting textures and flavors to deconstruct, but somehow the acid from the grape fruit harmoniously blends together with the savory sesame, halvah, and loukoum.
Screw Josephina and Cafe Fiorello: DB just conquered the Lincoln Center restaurant scene by doing it better.
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