On a mobile device? Try our mobile site, optimized for faster browsing.
Category: American (New) [Edit]
Neighborhood: Williamsburg - South SideMarcy Ave (J, M, Z)
Loading...
Dressler turned out to be a very solid spot for my one-year anniversary celebration with my husband. Below is an overview:
We Loved: our server, the decor, the duck entree, the striped bass entree
We Liked: the sweetbread app, the (special) duck/pasta app, the goat chessecake dessert, the Harvest Moon cocktail
We Weren't Thrilled wih: the wine, the bread, apps coming out not as hot as they should be (which always makes me think someone just forgot about them)
Absolutely amazing! Service was great and very attentive.
The food: We started off with table apps of lightly fried crab cakes and pork ribs which just feel right off the bone and melted in your happy mouth. Then came individual apps. I got the sea scallops which were good, but not as good as my BF's artichoke salad. YUM. Then came a round of pasta. We tried the oxtail pasta ragout which was very rich and delicious and the raviolini which was in a lighter butter base. Both amazing. Then for the entrees we both for the hanger steak and short beef ribs and oh my god. The beef ribs again just melted right in your mouth and the steak was awesome as well. For dessert we got the creme caramel and the chocolate souffle and were quite happy by this point.
We ate this glutenous meal over the course of four hours which we recommend for digestive purposes
This was a very cute spot, altho it is not as upscale as I thought it might be. While I definitely saw people wearing business casual, and dresses, it certainly would not have been out of place to wear a nice pair of jeans.
The tasting menu was fantastic and filling. i was a bit sad that they got our orders confused and my lamb came out medium - which made it kind of tough and chewy. I would have mentioned this but, it took quite a long time between courses. I could have had a drink between each course! : P
Dressler is the class of South Williamsburg. Nice decor and usually crowded. I have dined here maybe 8 times so I've had most items on the menu.
In my most recent visit (last night), the menu still seemed familiar. Most items are good but mostly unmemorable. I decided to go with the specials - Hamachi Tartar and the Pork Chops. Again, both were good but not great. The Pinot Noir we ordered was excellent. Since I have had all of the desserts before, I went with the dessert special. what a mistake. It was chocolate ice cream served with some sort of smoky bacon, peanut brittlle served on a biscuit. It was the most horrendous tasting dessert that i had ever had. we hardly touched it and the waitress did not offer to take it off of the menu. No big deal, that just meant she was getting a 15% tip.
Overall, it's a good restaurant (probably the nicest I've been to in the area) but it commands Manhattan prices without Manhattan quality.
You just come out happy!
"Woohoo! As good as it gets!"
I went here with my gentleman friend for an early birthday dinner last night, in order to take advantage of the Sunday-Thursday tasting menu, and it was fantastic; as a memory it seems like the absolute perfect meal, even with one little stumble - thats a teaser, so read on.
We were both excited to get the tasting menu and figured that between the two of us, we could try every option on the entire menu. And we did, with the exception of the lamb, since the hangar steak looked to good for either of us to pass up. So here's the breakdown:
To start, we shared the La Bicyclette cocktail, which was great. Fizzy and refreshing, one sip was actually a journey through a multitude of flavors; starting candy-sweet and citrus, and finishing bubbly and fresh, with no yucky sugary aftertaste. I told my gentleman friend that this cocktail is what I wish candy would be.
*Salad Course*
I got the Trout Crepe, he the Warm Artichoke Salad. Both were absolutely delicious, but the Trout Crepe had a little more wow factor. Smoked trout wrapped in a (cute and tiny) crepe, topped with beets, arugula tossed in some creamy-acidic dressing, and parmesan. The balance of flavors had a real delicacy; this salad really built our anticipation regarding the deliciousness of the food about to come.
*Pasta Course*
Pasta course was probably the best of the night. When, at the end of the meal, we ranked all of the food we'd had from best to worst ("worst" still being really freaking good), The two pasta dishes ranked as the top two.
We'd both had the oxtail ragu before and we seriously debated whether to get 1 order of ragu and 1 raviolini, or whether to both get the ragu, since we both knew that the possesor of the ragu would not be too inclined to share it much. Online the menu had said the raviolini would be ricotta in a parmesan broth - when we arrived the menu said it would be butternut squash! I got it! It was the best dish of the evening, one of the best dishes ever. We deemed the butternut squash raviolini to rank #1 on our list, with the oxtail ragu a close 2nd.
I began to fantasize about having those raviolini for every subsequent course, or of a giant bowl of $50 worth of them...
*Fish Course*
Fish course was great, but wowed less than the pasta course...Of course, that was a hard act to follow. I got the bacon-wrapped monkfish, which came with spaetzle, braised cabbage, and some sort of meaty tasty broth. It was smoky, salty +sweet, acidic, with a mellow richness from the broth. My first monkfish; not a bad first. My gentleman friend got the salmon, which came with sweet brussels sprouts and a potato puree; it also came cooked to a lovely medium-rare, with a crisply caramelized exterior.
*Second Cocktail*
The second cocktail we got was called the Verjus twist, and it was good but not mindblowing. I would not order it again, but I was happy enough with it, as the rest of meal was keeping me in a gleeful haze.
*Meat Course*
Hangar steaks cooked medium-rare all around for this final savoury course, and they were perfectly done. The juicy slices of hangar steak came pillowed on greens and mashed potatos, surrounded by a hearty jus. We both aggreed that this dish, while absolutely perfectly executed and extremely fulfilling, lay somewhere in the middle of the rated dishes. It was the best possible execution of a basic and inherently delicious dish, but did not acheive the surprising transcendence of the butternut squash ravioli.
*Dessert Course*
I ordered the peanut butter tart for dessert, while my companion ordered the lemon verbena creme caramel. He proclaimed his to be the best dessert he's ever had.
I briefly felt disappointed that I'd gotten something so traditional as peanut butter with chocolate, but the execution and care for details in preparing my dish soon put me UNDER ITS SPELL. The peanut butter filling was silky smooth and creamy, the essence of peanut butter with just the right amount of sweetness (no sugar overload) and topped with a thin layer of crisp yet melt-in-your-mouth dark chocolate. Added to this was a smokey caramel and some crunchy dry-roasted peanuts (unsalted). All of these hearty sticky ingredients combined to somehow create a dessert that tasted delicate as well as rich.
And when I found two little peices of plastic in it, the thing held me in its spell until I'd cleaned my plate anyhow!
Of course we told our waitress what had happened, but we couldn't be annoyed after such a great meal, and my clean plate showed it!
However, they were totally nice and apologetic about it and comped our two cocktails.
_________
Overall, I couldn't have been happier with this dinner. The food was fantastic, service was good, the pacing of the dishes was perfect, and of course the ambiance is lovely. I want to go back right now!
I love Brooklyn. Who knew? (well technically, everybody, because i officially became a "fan" of Brooklyn on facebook.)
After a pleasant walk from the L(ove) train Bedford stop, I settled in with a nice rose champagne cocktail at the bar. My boyfriend, unfortunately, ordered some sort of grapefruit and gin cocktail which tasted a little bit Terrible. oops. The restaurant is pretty.
My favorite thing of the night was the artichoke salad, which I had as my appetizer and it was just perfect. If artichokes weren't so annoying to prepare, I would love to attempt to recreate it in my kitchen. The scallops appetizer was also very good. I had the special fish entree, which was bacon-wrapped monkfish. Yes, monkfish, which is one of my favorite types of fish, wrapped in Bacon. I mean, yeah, pretty damn great.
yum yum yum.
Our dinner with friends was a mixed bag. We got seated right away, which was terrific. But it took the waiter forever to acknowledge us or take our drink order and then another long wait to take our food order. Ok. We were having a nice time and the space is sophisticated and comfortable. Our drinks took a looong time to arrive and they were tiny, small, scant. I ordered the pomegranate martini and it looked as though I got the bottom inch of what remained in the shaker for the last person's order (wish I was exaggerating). Not cool for a $12 cocktail. Stick with a glass of wine, which was a standard-sized pour.
We were then in for another wait for our food. Once it arrived, silence descended as we all enjoyed our orders. I had the warm artichoke heart (delicious) and the duck risotto (pretty good). My husband had the monkfish (delicious), one friend had the beet salad (delicious) and the raviolini (delicious), and my other friend had the duck (jackpot).
So, the food was very good but the overall experience was disappointing. We never saw our waiter, the expensive cocktails were a rip-off, and it's a pretty pricey place to have such an uneven experience. I wanted to love Dressler because it's exactly the type of place I would visit again and again - American cuisine served in a sophisticated but comfortable setting. I'm not going to make any extra effort to return since they didn't make any extra effort to ensure that I do.
Wonderfull space...look at the details of the interior and you will see someone put thier heart and soul in here....
...and the kitchen is the very definition of accessable-gourmet...
...etoile Michelin much deserved...
...great for dinner at the bar...great cocktails...good wines b.t.g...\
...impossible not to love...
It used to be a bitch describing where in Williamsburg I lived. Save for some references to Peter Luger's and the black hatter community to my south, people hadn't heard of Brooklyn's Broadway. Now that I have Dressler to namedrop, even my gay male coworkers coo appreciatively. "Oh, Dressler! You live near there? We just went there for brunch! Love the design. Those black iron screens. Those drinks!"
Anyway, perhaps my need for affirmation is more developed than most, but after a yearlong sojourn in Sunnyside, my place by the Marcy JMZ seemed less hipster, more dumpster. As I kvetched on the phone about the rats running amok on my stoop, my friend knew I needed the boost only unbridled gentrification could provide and suggested a celebratory dinner at Dressler. (After years of illegally subletting it, I'd finally summoned the cash flow to cover the mortgage myself.)
Conked from the move, I have zero recollection of what we had to eat or drink aside from an amazing beet appetizer and a far less amazing banana mousse. I look forward to going back and dining at the bar. As gorgeous as it seems when you walk in, the back room felt a bit dungeon-like once we sat down. I also missed the groping options adjoining barstools provide.
The decor is over-the-top sexy, so much so that it's not exactly sexy anymore. That's ok -- the ravioli makes up for it.
The patrons are older than what you get in prime Bburg (Bedford/7th) but maybe that's a good thing every now and then. This is a refined spot, with very fancy drinks and bartenders to seal the deal (I even got a buy back here.. such class!)
It's not a place I would go very often, mainly because of the cost, but I like to bring out-of-towners here so they understand that Brooklyn is not the trash dump it is often depicted as in movies and on TV. Oh, the brunch? Not so great. My mother, usually easily impressed by a good egg on toast, thought it bland and uninventive.
This a a Michelin star rated restaurant, what drugs were the judges smoking that night. Food is good at best I have been here several times with no consistancy. Nothing out of the ordinary, must be Bloomberg's way of getting the hipsters out of the city with gems like this
I've been to this place quite a few times now, and I'm always pleased with it. The food is always good. I have been both for brunch and for dinner. I think going to dinner here is way better. The brunch is too expensive, and I think the ambiance of the place is more attractive at night. I actually really love the decor here. There is always a bit of a wait, and I think it's annoying because I feel New Yorkers are super impatient, but they do take reservations so you might want to take advantage of that. It's pretty much cadi corner from Peter Lugars, the area is nice (way WAY improvement from about 10 years ago apparently). I think you should check out Dressler when you're in Williamsburg. It's a great little spot!
A foodiophile date night? Breaking up in style? Mom in town? Time to get fancy under the Williamsburg bridge? Dressler is the place.
I really like this place. Quality food by a professional chef and wait staff that are courteous, professional and not down your throat or pretentious. It's that perfect balance. This place reminds me of what good Manhattan restaurants were of yesteryear before all those "good chefs" got eaten by media whores and started wearing orange Crocs while cooking for their bff, Gwennie. They take their food seriously here and it really shows. I highly recommend their weekday tasting menu and if you're still employed, I suggest to go for the accompanying wine tasting.
It's simply a night of good food and they place doesn't look so shabby either.
Looking for Grappa and dessert in Williamsburg?
Luck for us Dressler came through just like how I remembered.
It's really amazing how this part of town has blown up (in a good way) since living long ago at 475 Kent address when Domsey was around... and Diner was the only good resto period. Then came Dumont, Dumont Burger and Dressler. (respectfully)
In the winter months I could always feel at ease, order a Dark 'N Stormy that would warm my insides immediately.... The key to this drink is that they make the ginger beer right on the premisses -"nice".
Now, current day '09 and Broadway is not as sleepy with only the famous steak house across the way. Much more active with supped up cars and Harley's whizzing by (kinda like Ocean Drive, Miami) as we sat outside with our nightcaps and nibbled on blueberry cobbler/fresh from the market and a high tasting banana tart as the moon illuminates us.
Ahh, life is good!
Since moving to Williamsburg there have been a few restaurants/bars where I didn't feel cool/hip/rich enough to be there. This is one of those places. Take that as you will.
Pretentiousness aside - Good food, great(expensive*)drinks.
*$11 bloody mary.
wow, quite a meal.
my dining companions and i opted for the five-course tasting menu (after all, it was part of the reason we went there), and though i was afraid that i wasn't hungry enough for five courses, i'm pleased to inform you that they really do give you a *tasting* menu: so you get five courses, but none of them are as big as a normal course, so you're just getting to try a lot more. and at $50 - not much more than a single appetizer and single entree, no dessert, would cost you a la carte - that's a pretty good deal. especially for someone like me who likes to try multiple dishes.
the food i had went like this:
1) warm artichoke heart salad -- as excellent as the previous reviewers have said. what i didn't expect (and was quite pleased to discover) is that it's not simply little bits of artichoke heart. no no, it's a whole hunk of it in the middle of your plate, with the arugula on top. and i don't know what the dressing was, but it was perfect for enhancing the wonderful flavor of the artichoke heart without overpowering it. delish.
2) oxtail ragout -- also excellent. the oxtail was really great, the pasta itself was unusually good, and it was the perfect amount of pasta: a decently sized portion without filling me up.
3) bacon-wrapped monkfish -- very good... but probably my least favorite item of everything that i ordered. don't get me wrong, i dutifully subscribe to the bacon-makes-everything-better philosophy, but the dish just didn't wow me as much as everything else did.
4) pork belly -- this was a special of the evening, so i don't know if it will normally be offered, but if it is, i encourage you to consider it. if you like bacon, that is. this pork belly seemed a little leaner than what i've had in the past (it's still fatty, of course, but less so than what i've seen before) so it gave me the flavor without as much of the greasiness. i will mention, though, that my friend - who also had the pork belly - tried his brother's hanger steak, and said it was the better of the two dishes. so, it seems you can't go wrong either way.
5) the peanut butter chocolate tarte -- wow. the chocolate-and-peanut-butter combo has me pre-disposed to be happy, but this was particularly good: the chocolate was a dark chocolate (yum) and the peanut butter wasn't overly sweet, and there was this salted almond caramel on the plate that provided the perfect amount of saltiness to contrast with the sweet... the result was a dessert that was wonderful and satisfying and decadent without being *too* sugary. i was extremely pleased.
all in all, the meal was a very good one, and if they change up the options fairly regularly (so there are new things to try on a repeat visit) then i would definitely want to go here again. i also liked my cocktail a lot - i had the pomegranate martini (again with the pomegranate!) - but i would probably pick a different drink next time.
oh, also, leave yourself plenty of time: the service was friendly but definitely not quick... we had a fair amount of time between courses, which i'd say is good - it made sure we paced ourselves and didn't get overly stuffed from all of the food - but as a result the meal took 2.5 hours. just make it your evening's activity, that's all. and order the chocolate peanut butter dessert.
I had pre-dinner drinks at Dressler awhile back and loved the vibe in there... the cool chandeliers and the ornate black metal screens (with hidden animal images in there) lend for a retro sexy feel (a bit Victorian in a way). I checked out the menu and made a mental note to come back for dinner. Well, I did recently for a b-day dinner w/ a few friends... both friends don't eat meat so I was limited to seafood and veggies on the menu but that was fine with me... though the next time, I'll definitely have to check out the pork belly and duck.
The memorable dishes for me were the pan-roasted scallops (perfectly cooked and seasoned with leeks, mushrooms, and truffle oil), the smoked trout crepe (with herbed creme fraiche... yum), the arctic char, peeky-toe crab cakes, and the grilled octopus. Most of these were small dishes / apps and the 3 of us shared everything. The meal was topped off with a nice dessert... chocolate souffle cake, one of my favorite desserts and done quite well here.
It's not a cheap meal... but nothing unreasonable for an upscale dinner in a nice setting. Wine & cocktail selection are pretty good and the service was also quite pleasant. I now have 2 good reasons to frequent this part of Brooklyn -- Dressler and of course, Peter Lugers.
First of all, this place is beautiful! I went here after a very unglamorous workday feeling like crap and, after only only glass of Prosecco, my outlook on life totally changed.
My husband and I got the tasting menu; it was our three year anniversary after all! Everything looked and tasted delicious, particularly the warm artichoke salad, the sirloin and the panna cotta with black pepper shortbread.
The service was very attentive and helpful, suggesting a very yummy red wine to pair with my meat dish.
After a futile attempt to get a table at Peter Luger's, my friends turned to me and said, "You're a Yelper, you should know where to go!!". I started to sweat under the pressure. Suddenly, it dawned on me that I had a spot right down the street in my bookmarks - Dressler! So, I confidently pointed down the street and said, "I've heard great things about that place".
As my friends and I were being seated, I crossed my fingers hoping that my credibility as a Yelper (and Elite, no less) would not be tarnished.
I'm happy to report that my friends and I were very impressed w/ the food & actually glad that we didn't get a table at Peter Luger's!
We started with the artichoke and cannelloni bean salad - a warm salad that was beautifully presented and delicious as well.
My boyfriend ordered the roasted free range chicken, I ordered the monkfish, one friend had the herb & ricotta raviolis, and another friend ordered a beef dish (I can't remember what it was).
My monkfish was wrapped in bacon and served with a shrimp risotto - the monkfish was delicious and there were generous portions of shrimp, however the preserved lemon sauce made the risotto a little too salty. It was still quite tasty, however. The other dishes were really, really good but the (surprising) best dish was the roast chicken - the skin was perfectly crispy & the seasoning was full & flavorful.
Service was excellent. Bread was brought to our table several times, our waitress was knowledgeable & professional, and though we declined dessert she brought our table some Almond Florentines & Macaroons (yummy).
The ambiance was a cool, modern mix of LA style lighting, Victorian motifs, and exposed brick segements. The restaurant is much larger than it seems on the outside, and the high ceilings contribute to the airy environs. Everyone found it a very pleasant place to dine.
I can't wait to come back and try more of their menu items. I think the bar would be a great place for a date - my boyfriend & I live nearby so we plan to come back for wine & a dessert sometime.
Highly recommended!
Easily one of the best meals I've ever had. My wife surprised me with this somewhat out of the way place for my birthday, and we both had a fantastic time.
The menu is seasonal, so don't expect everything they list on their website to be available while you're there, but from looking over the menu, we both had quite a hard time trying to decide which entree to try.
I had the ricotta and herb raviolini for an appetizer, while the lady had the mixed green salad. She said hers was fresh and tasty, while the raviolinis were possibly one of the best parts of the meal. It came in a fantastic Parmesan & truffle oil sauce with mushrooms. DELICIOUS.
For entrees, she had the pork loin, which was so tender it didn't even need to be cut with a knife. I had the braised duck which was exquisite.
When it came time for the check, we were actually surprised... if this place was across the river, I'd have expected to pay $50-100 more for the meal. Definitely going to be returning in the future.
Maybe I was unprepared. This could be why I thought Dressler was so adorable. Meeting my friend & her mom for a late Sunday evening dinner. It's not that I expected something awful, I just didn't expect anything interesting.
The decor was beautiful. Sort of a baroque/art nouveau feel. Wild chandeliers were my favorite. Would take up my entire living room but I still want one.
The food was good.
Hot artichoke salad was awesome. Tried the ribs & chicken (2 things I would probably not order)......very tasty! I ordered salmon. Which was nothing less than salmon. But that is fine w/me! We finished w/some sort of vanilla/raspberry/almond dessert. No complaints.
Staff was very attentive & the place was packed.
Kind of expensive. Would be a cool place for a date/special occasion meal.
Good stuff!!
I must be the only person who hadn't heard about this place. I know, I know, I live under a rock.
A chichi little place with consistently good food and service. The goat cheese raviolini is killer, and the salads are quite nice. I highly recommend the brunch, especially the French toast.
Oh my god. I got a gift certificate for Dressler as a graduation gift from my boyfriend's mom, and prior to that, I hadn't heard of Dressler. That being said, I kind of wish I still hadn't heard of Dressler, because now I know how delicious it is and I've wanted to go back ever since. Super classy, awesome atmosphere & decor, friendly waiters, unique menu, delicious drinks. My boyfriend and I actually got all appetizers, since we're (mostly) vegetarians and all of the entrees were meat/fish dishes. I actually do eat fish, but all the entrees sounded so boring in comparison to the app's. Yum! We got raviolini (amazing), gnocchi, beets, and sea scallops. The raviolini and beets were by far the best out of all 4. To drink, I got the "La Bicyclette" which was super tart and delicious. I need to go back here!
Have been meaning to go here for some time, and finally made it for my birthday dinner. Had a great time doing the tasting menu (which is only $45 Sun-Thurs! Not sure how long they'll keep that up). The tasting menu seems to change but here's what I chose:
- Artichoke Salad (wonderful braise w/ Kidney Beans, topped w/ Arugula-- and the warm temperature was JUST right!)
- Rabbit Ragout (incredible, though the other choice, Raviolini, was also delicious, esp. with the slices of parm on top)
- Skate-- probably the weakest link, but that's only because I feel like they copped out by just frying it with some seasoning. But I won't complain about fried food, and it was still quite good.
- Hanger steak- very tender, nicely served over layered potato-onion
- the Corn Creme Caramel (and split the Choco-Banana mousse, too)
Wonderful decor (really don't think it's over the top, as some say-- perhaps it helps that summer nights keep the natural light seeping in until late), and the service was incredibly attentive without being overly intrusive. Well done!
We had three fish dishes. They didn't eff up a single one!
Oddly enough, the best part of the whole experience was the cabbage. It was pure delightful butter. I don't know how to do it justice. Somehow they turned a stinky, pale vegetable into one of the most ethereal delicious food items my tongue has ever had the luck to experience.
"So Many Many Reasons It's So MMm MMm Good"
This was my second time to Dressler (both for special occasions) and I thoroughly enjoyed myself. Down to actually ever so lightly moaning when I was eating my main course!
It could have been the perfect mixture of ambiance, many martinis, a birthday celebration, good food - but I was having an amazing dinner!
Service was wonderful, prices high but this is not somewhere I would frequent on a weekly basis (solely because of the price).
We had:
Oysters to start
Pan roasted scallop over grits, mushroom & truffle oil (our fave of the night)
Main Course
Long Island Duck
Short Ribs / Sirloin Dish
Skipped dessert
Their sister restaurant Dumont is favorite for weekly dinners / brunch. I'll keep Dressler on my list for guests in town and special occasions.
The host was very attentive. The style and ambiance of the space was spectacular with modern chandeliers and very appropriate lighting for the exposed brick walled restaurant. An art noveau vibe.
The food was solid as well. We started with a couple dozen oysters followed by the best cod I ever tasted and a really nice beef entree.
This is one of my very favorite newish restaurants in all of New York. The service is top notch, the food is clean and classy and they serve up the best cocktails sans attitude in the neighborhood. Very professional and delightful. We go here when our folks are in town and on special occasions.
Oh yes and it is among the few (possibly only?) Michelin star awarded restaurants in Brooklyn.
Holy hangover cure... I love a good burger after a long night out and the burger and fries that I had for Valentine's Day brunch at Dressler was definitely the best I've had in this city so far. It was juicy and perfectly seasoned. I'm pretty sure the burger didn't leave my right hand once, as I used my left hand to shovel equally delicious fries into my mouth between burger bites. A romantic meal, to say the least.
I was also digging the high ceilings, black damask wall patterns, and chandeliers. I'll admit that I felt a little low brow and barbaric as I devoured my burger amidst the chic atmosphere.
The dinner menu can be pricey, so brunch at Dressler was a yummy, affordable alternative to an expensive Valentine's Day prix-fixe menu. If you're looking to give Dressler a try but don't have the leeway in your budget for dinner, make some leeway in your waistline and stuff your face at brunch -- Just make sure you don't leave without ordering the sticky pecan bun, which is rich with buttery, flaky, sticky goodness. It very well might be the reason for the restaurant's Michelin Star.
The reason I go to Brooklyn.
I love the interior, first of all. Think Victorian meets contemporary meets Truman Capote's black & white ball. Decorate my apartment, please?
The pumpkin ravioli was one of the best things I've ever tasted. The pumpkin flavor was more rich than pumpkin pie, but still subtle. I don't know how that can be, but it is. The hanger steak and pork rib were great, too: the rib was the most tender meat I've ever had. It really was like butter. The onion jam was a tasty accompaniment, too. The cheesecake with pistachio was superb, too. Not too dense or sweet, but still cheesecake-y enough.
Oh, and try the chestnut cream cocktail. When offered bread, make sure to get the square-looking bun. THE BEST BREAD IN THE WORLD, and I effing love bread.
I've always felt that the area of S Williamsburg that sits in the shadow of the Wburg Bridge is kind of like DUMBO's edgy little brother. He's got that same post-industrial, down-by-the-water look to him, but he's a little dirtier, not quite as developed, and has a WAY later curfew. Why, then, are his restaurants so much nicer and better than ours over by the grown-up bridges?
Obviously there's Luger's, but then there's also Diner, Marlow & Sons and most recently-opened Dressler, where I met two of my favorite Yelpers for a little ladies' brunch on Saturday.
Actually, that's not true. We met at Marlow & Sons, but after sitting and drinking their water for at least 15 minutes it was brought to our attention that there were no egg dishes on their menu. Not OK! Rebecca H and I made an executive decision that brunch must be had elsewhere, and as soon as Kaelea A arrived, we threw a few dollars on the table and bolted. As you've probably guessed by now, we are nothing if not classy.
We made our way up the hill to Dressler, whose menu boasts a solid selection of egg-based entrees, not to mention an impressive line-up of brunch cocktails. The drinks were a little pricey at $10, but my bloody mary was one of the better ones I've had in the city, so I'll forgive Dressler this once. And my eggs florentine, which I use to judge a brunch spot much in the same way people use pad thai to determine a Thai restaurant's worth, were excellent.
And then, of course, there was the bacon. $5 got us an overflowing plate of everybody's favorite pig part, perfectly crispy and greasy. Seriously, there was so much bacon that we almost (I SAID ALMOST) couldn't finish it amongst the three of us, and if you know the three of us at all, you know we love bacon.
Finally, Dressler is totally gorgeous inside. Super-high ceilings, nice leather banquettes and spacious booths, and filigree everywhere. Be sure to check out the pics I nicked from their website--it's most certainly the cheekiest filigree you've ever seen. I want to pack Dressler up in a box and ship it down the river to DUMBO. Maybe then, we'd be almost as cool as our little brother.
And I've even read the book.
I was expecting this place to be overhyped, overpriced, and under-portioned. I found none of these assumptions to have any basis in truth.
The service was lovely, the decor was old timey speak-easyish, and the food was really, really good. The ravioli with truffle oil in particular stood out. The halibut was simple with clean flavors, same with the beet salad (although the random puff pastry in there seemed a bit out of place). The lamb chop/pork belly dish was rich and fatty beyond belief, making it a good compliment with the lighter salad and fish dish. So there seems to be quite a wide variety of dishes here. Something for everyone.
Potentially even more remarkable are their delicious cocktails. We sampled 3 types and they just kept getting better and better. The pomegranate martini deserves extra special recognition for being the perfect blend of cold, sweet, and tart. Mmmm.
I am a fan of Hotel Delmano, further north in the area, but now having been to Dressler (which existed first) I can see kinda where they got their decor and drink ideas from. Which makes Dressler a big ole trendsetter I must say.
I don't get why there are still so few upscale eateries in this area of Williamsburg. The place was packed. You'd think there'd be similar dining choices around but it's really a stand-alone destination. Worth the trip if you're coming from far. Or just a few blocks. Either way, worth the trip.
My first Brooklyn experience, and what a great Start. This place is right on Broadway in a quieter neighborhood, with plenty of street parking in Front. What attracted us to the place was its window seating that overlooked the street in front and we picked it to gaze at the brooklyn life and passerbys.
They have a unique Menu, with a Brunch, Midday and dinner. Since it was almost 4pm we were handed a small menu on a card and there weren't many choices to select from.
We selected the Apricot salad, Rabbit Ragout and my date oredered the Homemade Gnocchi. Though i am not a big salad fan, but there salad was delicious, and even better was the rabbit. I just haven't had such wonderful pasta.
My only complaint was that the helpings were very small. It does not fill you, more like a french helping, and they are so delicious that you want more.
I can't say the same for the Sticky Bun. Now that was a generous Size and was very nice as well. Overall a wonderful experience, the greeter and the waiter were also both knowledgeable about the food and explained the menu well. Highly Recommended!
i had the tasting menu on sunday night. the dishes were quite lovely. maybe 3 of the 5 were wonderful but the rest just okay.
the staff was superb. perfect amount of attention and kindness.
spilled wine at our table and compensated for it (albeit us having to ask....).
the decor was perfect.
the price was right.
i say go.
I'd rather be raped by a kangaroo than eat here again!
The waiter recommended the $30 lamb special. What I got was a salty pile of greens slathered in butter grease that tasted like sweat.
AND the worst part: the lamb. Precisely 50% of the microscopic piece of meat I got was literally fat. When I complained about it, the waiter enlightened me: A good chef prefers fatty lamb chops.
If I know one ingredient, It's lamb. I've eaten lamb in several different countries, and cooked lamb from around the world - and never have I seen so much fat served on a plate. I can't fathom where they found a t-bone that tiny? The chop must have surgically excised from a lamb the size of a tufted tit mouse.
I certainly don't mind shelling out some serious bank for great food - but as an Italian, this meal was offensive enough to warrant a phone call to my mother and request a curse.
The people who own Dumont, Sweetwater, and this place are rip-off artists. People pile in to their restaurants even though they serve crap.
I'm boycotting these blinged out Burger King shit holes from now on!
I hate hipsters. I really do. Its as if they all went to the same estate sale at a mental institution and picked up absurd outfits to try and top each other. This restaurant is close to these...hipsters, so I wasn't happy with the selection. I was ridiculously wrong...about the restaurant, not the hipsters. My brunch there today was an ethereal combination of great food, drink, ambience, service, and decor. The omelettes were fluffy and amazing and the bloody mary's were amazing. I will absolutely absolutely absolutely go back...and spray every hipster with Windex.
Fantastic service, lovely decor and incredible food. A sure sign that the foodies have found a destination in Williamsburg.
If you go, try the fried artichokes, the crab cakes and the short rib/steak combo.
Love it. The brunch is amazing, the drinks are delish, and the service is great.
We adore Dressler. Best, for us, on a Sunday night, or early weeknight at the bar. The pork shoulder ragu was exquisite. The ravioli with peas and truffle oil was equally delicious, but subtler. In summer, we must recommend the lemon custard dessert.
The bartender was charming and wonderfully human. Laughing at the funny things said around the bar and tastefully ignoring the loudmouths. Again, no pretension at the bar.
AMENDMENT October 30, 2009
We planned to hit Dressler up for a late night dinner. I arrived around 10:40 p.m., the bartender was learning how to make their cocktails, and I waited a very long time for my first drink. Twice, I was offered food menus, and both times I said, "YES, I AM EATING, BUT WAITING FOR MY FRIEND TO ARRIVE."
My friend arrives, orders a drink, and when we finally get the barkeeps' attention again to ask for the food menus, we were handed the dessert menus and told "oh, so sorry, the kitchen is closed."
A real bartender would have notified us before the kitchen closed, knowing we were there for dinner.
Eat dinner at the Bar-Great…
Neighborhood: Park Slope
Make Your Own Bloody Mary
Neighborhood: Williamsburg - North…
Neighborhood: Williamsburg - South Side
Category: American (New)
Neighborhood: Williamsburg - South Side
Category: American (Traditional)
Neighborhood: Williamsburg - South Side
Category: American (Traditional)
Neighborhood: Williamsburg - South Side
Category: American (New)
Neighborhood: Williamsburg - South Side
Category: French
I'm a tourist and I'm going to do some touristy…
these are the places where my meal makes me moan…
Some of my favorite dining destinations in the…
My local dry cleaner, watering hole, deli, cafe,…
No, not "East Williamsburg", "Morgantown" or any…
I eat probably twice a day, sometimes three times.…
My local dry cleaner, watering hole, deli, cafe,…
Some of my favorite dining destinations in the…
