From the Terence Stamp doppelganger Maitre de, to the intricate nouveau ironwork, to the pricey but oh so worth it menu, it's like owner Colin Devlin (also owner of Dumont and Dumont Burger) brought in his fabulous stylist friend who once did Bjork's hair or something into Brooklyn to fancy it up a bit, not that a neighborhood with million dollar lofts needs a lot of sprucing up… but, it worked.
Dressler merited an unexpected two stars from notoriously tough New York Times food critic Frank Bruni. After one visit, I can see why.
I began my meal with the Gretch, a crazy strong martini made of gin and a splash of cucumber infused vermouth. Remarkably, the dish I keep raving about is the chilled pea soup. It was so refreshing and uniquely flavored that I wish it could be packaged and a pint of it could be kept in my fridge at all times. I mean it was daydream yummy. If a restaurant can elevate a simple traditional soup like that, then it's no surprise the other dishes were great too.
Jim enjoyed the rack of lamb which came with an appetizing garlic flan, while I opted for the soup and the roasted quail appetizer. The quail was crispy and succulent with excellent ham and grits accompanying it–hearty without being heavy.
We had planned on coming to this fancy-occasion, eclectic reviewer darling since my birthday in February, but a very nasty sinus infection got in the way. Good things come to those who wait, I guess, as this was one of the nicest overall dining experiences of the year.
But what do you think?