Brunch at DBGB

October 20, 2009 The Lady Who Lunches

*This venue has closed*

Cuisine: French, New American
Atmosphere: dramatic interior, spacious
Attire: smart-casual
Ideal for: children welcomed, trendy, famous chef/owner, beer/sausage enthusiasts
Must try: Seasonal blintzes, croque monsieur/madame
Price: Most brunch items under $20
Reservations: Via phone or www.opentable.com
Phone: (212) 933-5300
Website: www.danielnyc.com
Location: 299 Bowery, (at 1st Street)

*All of the photos from my meal can be viewed on Flickr

^{What the heck does DBGB stand for anyways??}

^{Daniel Boulud Good Burger. This is uber-famous chef Daniel Boulud's take on "French brasserie meets the American tavern," or in other words, "Boulud for the masses" (hence the "affordable" prices).}

^{What’s the space like?}

^{Dark, modern, smart casual, booth and table seating, bustling yet conducive to conversation}

^{How was the service?}

^{Fantastic. Our server was knowledgeable, patient and friendly.}

^{What d} ^{id you drink?}

^{I kept it boring; just knocked back a couple of waters-on-the-rocks.}

^{How was the food?}

^Viennoiserie^{(for the table)}^:^{Within our group of six, I think it would be safe to say that five of us were brutally}^hung-over^{from the night before}^.^{In order to begin the}^healing^{process, we unanimously agreed to kick off brunch with a basket of}^{viennoiserie (}^{the fancy-pants word for “pastry”}⁾^.^Fortunate^{enough to recognize the smell of}^{homemade croissants fresh-out-of-the-oven,}^{you can imagine my excitement when our server presented us with a bountiful basket filled with warm pastries: pain aux raisins (}^croissant^{with raisins}^),^a^{croissant, pain au chocolat (}^{chocolate croissant}^{) and a banana muffin}^.^{A trio of spreads followed as an accompaniment: circular slab of butter topped with sprinkled sel gris (}^{grey sea salt}^{), orange marmalade (}^{sans peels}^{) and four-fruits preserves.}

^{Cheese blintzes with roasted pears and cassis syrup}^{(for the table)}^:^{“Are any of you guys getting an appetizer?}^{Those blintzes sound amazing, but I also want a Croque Monsieur!” Ceci proclaimed}^{. A number of us jumped in and replied, “Ceci, it’s your birthday! Order whatever the hell you want!”}^{And that, she did. Thinly-}^{sliced pears (}^{I hate to say it, but I believe they were canned}⁾^{served as an anchor for}^two^{cheese blintzes}⁽^{thin crepe}^s^{filled with a blend of soft}^{, unsweetened}^{farmer’s cheese}⁾^{, which were topped with a}^spoonful^of^Bordeaux-^colored^{cassis (}^blackberry⁾^syrup^.^{The sliced pears added a playful, unexpected textural}^“crunch”^{to an otherwise delicate and creamy dish.}

^{Croque Madame}^:^{Imagine this}^{take on a grilled ham & Swiss cheese sandwich}^{: salty}^French^{ham and gruyere cheese sandwiched between two thick and buttery}^{slices of white bread - topped with a thin layer of béchamel sauce and more gruyere cheese - then cooked to a bubbling golden brown (under the boiler) and crowned with a sunny side-up egg}^{. The only way to eat this 'wich is with a fork and knife as you allow the egg's liquid yolk to work its magic by seeping in to every last crevice of the bread}^{. Is your mouth watering}^yet^?^{From the first time that I tasted this delightful sandwich in}^France^{, I was hooked. I’ve been known to judge a restaurant based upon its Croque Madame, alone. Although I was bummed that DBGB’s version was accompanied by a plain-Jane mescalin salad,}^not^{frites, I had to give Mr. Boulud a star for authenticity (}^{for in my experience, croques are almost always paired aux salade}^).

^{What’s pricing like?}

^{Here’s a snapshot of our bill} ^:

Viennoiserie^{: $12 (note that this was split 6 ways)}
Cheese blintzes^:^$10
Croque Madame^{: $15}

^{Will you return to} ^DBGB ^?

^{Absolutely! Though the reviews are mixed, I hope to return to DBGB for dinner.}