Food Network's show "The Best Thing I Ever Ate" recently featured DBGB as one of the best places in NYC for meat. It was obvious that it was a place that we had to check out, so B rallied up Justinien & Schwartz, two meat lovers.
Daniel Boulud the mastermind behind DBGB was once a chef at Le Cirque and then moved to open his own place called Daniel in the UES, then opened Cafe Boulud and DB Bistro Moderne (it's obvious that Mr. Boulud loves his name). The whole idea behind DBGB is that they make their own sausages in house; there are 13 different types listed on their menu. I personally loved the decor inside: concrete floors & walls, see through kitchen, steel & more steel, it's very LES chic. Here's what we ordered:
Starters:
Chop-chop Salad w/romaine, avocado, carrots, watermelon, & ginger sesame dressing
Jim's Matzoh Ball Soup
Special for the night - Heirloom Tomato Salad
Entree:
Roasted Chicken Breast w/spring vegetable
DBGB Hot Dog w/sautéed onion, mustard, ketchup, 299 relish, & fries
Pan Roasted Atlantic Salmon w/baby leeks, house made gnocchi & arugela
Dessert:
Chocolate-Chocolate w/truffle, chocolate chip cookies, cocoa nib crunchies, caramel sauce & whipped cream
The review:
Personally I thought the heirloom tomato salad was the best thing I ordered. The matzoh ball soup lacked salt and it just didn't taste like my grandmothers, however I did enjoy the parsley infused in the matzoh balls. The DBGB hot dog was the only type of "sausage" I could order off the menu because everything else had pork, honestly I'll stick to Hebrew National. It tasted like rubber and if it wasn't for the relish I don't think I would have finished it. The chocolate dessert was beyond amazing and every bite had surprise to it. One bite would be all ice cream then the next would be a cookie, & then crunchies...yum. Schwartz roasted chicken fell off the bone & a must try if you venture there. Justinien enjoyed his salmon but really enjoyed the homemade gnocchi.
DBGB Kitchen & Bar - great booths for groups, lot's of energy, LES feel
299 Bowery
New York, NY 10003
tel: 212.933.5300
-S&B