DBGB Kitchen & Bar

I didn’t think DBGB was my kind of place, but I had one of the best meals I’ve had in a while. The name is a wink at the gentrification that’s been creeping up the Bowery above Houston Street. The shell of CBGB, a block away, has become a marketplace for designer fashion, and the upscale hotels and condos popping up around it are rapidly transforming the strip into a well-heeled playground. DBGB, housed in one of these shiny new monoliths, is chef Daniel Boulud’s take on elevated gastropub fare.

We arrived at around 7:30 on a Friday evening, and although the dining room was booked we easily snagged a spot in the cafe, where the full menu is offered. I started out with a pear sidecar cocktail, with Bulleit bourbon, peat liqueur, lemon, and rhubarb bitters ($12). It was potent and not too sweet, both good things. I followed that up with the special beer on tap, a malty Hof Ten Dormaal dark farmhouse ale ($11). Beer lovers won’t be disappointed with the over 20 beers on tap, including a bevvy of Belgians.

For an entree I ordered steak frites ($28), a 10 oz New York strip topped with peppered butter, that was both tendered and perfectly seasoned. The fries were fantastic, with a perfect thickness and crispness. The steak came with a small salad of watercress dressed with zesty vinaigrette, and I also ordered a side of buttery broccoli rabe ($7) for added greenery. It was a good-sized portion, and anyone who knows me knows I rarely clean my plate. This time I ate ALL OF IT.

My dinner companion ordered the house-made pappardelle bourguignon, with slow-cooked brisket, red wine, pear onions, mushrooms, smoked bacon, and herbs ($23). This was a perfect example of how comfort food can be both simple and complex. The sweet roasted tomatoes contrasted with salty cuts of bacon, which managed to be both chewy and crisp. I would order this on my next visit.

For dessert we split the sticky toffee pudding. This isn’t regularly on the menu, but it should be. The toffee pudding was warm and similar to bread pudding in texture, with sweetness provided by chopped prunes. It was served with poached pineapples and kalamansi sorbet, which added a bit of cold, citrusy sourness, and topped with a paper-thin piece of caramelized sugar. We chased the various ingredients around the plate with our spoons, trying to catch all the flavors in one bite.

Our bill came to $128 for four drinks, two entrees, a side, and a dessert. In other words, Snackish will not be frolicking with the rich and fabulous down on the Bowery on a regular basis, but it was worth it for a splurge.

DBGB Kitchen & Bar
299 Bowery between E. Houston and 1st St.
Reservations recommended for the dining room