Meat & Fish at Dressler's

It was my birthday recently, and my parents took me to Dressler (149 Broadway, 718-384-6343) for dinner to celebrate. It was my first time there, but I had heard such good things, I was looking forward to it. Everything I had heard was true - our experience was SO nice, in every way. The service was attentive but unobtrusive, the food was delicious and carefully prepared and the room was grand yet warm, with high ceilings, pretty iron work around the wall lighting and incredibly ornate chandeliers in the dining room. We were seated at a booth and settled in for our meal. We ordered so many dishes, I'm going to write about appetizers and entrees today and finish with desserts on Monday...stay tuned!

My mom and I shared a plate of 6 oysters, three of each variety (Wellfleet and Bluepoint). The Wellfleet had a fuller flavor than the Bluepoint, brinier and saltier with a slight metallic taste, but both were fresh and delicious, especially with the horseradish and onion sauce that accompanied them. Such a treat!



We also shared a Smoked Trout appetizer that came wrapped in crepes. This was unbelievably flavorful yet delicate at the same time. The fish was smoky, almost meaty, and came dressed in a perfectly creamy, tangy sauce. This was then topped with a small salad of Frisee, micro greens and slices of Granny Smith apple which provided a nice tartness to balance everything out.



My step-father got the Artichoke Hearts Salad with canneloni beans and arugula. This too had a slightly smoky flavor and was dressed in the same lemony creamy sauce, with big slices of shaved Parmesan cheese on top. It was pretty incredible.



He also ordered the Baby Beet and Citrus Salad, with roasted tomato tart, chevrot and micro greens. The citrus paired well with the earthiness of the beets, and the goat cheese rounded it out with a little tang.



Our entrees were even better than the appetizers though. My boyfriend got what I thought was the best item on the menu - The Cider Braised Pork Shank with cabbage, creamy spaetzle and whole grain mustard. Oh man was this good! The cider gave it a touch of sweetness and made it the most tender pork I've ever had, practically melting off the bone. The spaetzle was great and went nicely with the sharp taste of the mustard.



My mom ordered the Day Boat Cod with Chard, Salsify, Butternut Squash, Parsnip & Brussel Sprouts. The mild, flaky fish went nicely with the flavors of the vegetables which were earthy, mellow and slightly sweet.



I got the Braised Short Rib & Grilled Hanger Steak with Horseradish Whipped Potato, Onion Jam, Spinach & Bordelaise. The rib was amazing; wonderfully tender and rich, but the steak was ever so slightly tough. Still tasty, but next to the rib, uninteresting.



I really liked it here and will definitely go back - I've been thinking about those ribs!!! Check back on Monday when I'll write about our desserts.