DBGB

Ding Dong.

Dan and I scored preview tickets to see The Book of Mormon, the new Broadway musical by the South Park guys, and since it was a matinee, it gave us an excuse go out to eat. Yes, yes, we're supposed to be saving money, which is why we picked celebrity chef Daniel Boulud's low key bistro, DBGB Kitchen and Bar, rather than his 3-Micheline star restaurant Daniel (sigh, poor us).

I really have no business liking this place. Boulud is a world-famous French chef, and French food really isn't my thing. More importantly, this place is basically an homage to all the things I don't eat. My god, there is a “Tête aux Pieds” (Head to Feet) section of the menu featuring such lovely offerings as tongue, tripe and crispy pig feet. I am not this brave.

But, DBGB is known for having some of New York's best sausage and burgers. And, since I long ago lost my vegetarian street cred (I like to think of myself as a meat-avoider), why the hell not.

To start things off, you need to know that this place has a killer beer menu . Seriously, this thing has a table of contents.

Dan started with a can of Siamese Twin Ale (Uncommon Brewers, CA) an organic ale with coriander, kaffir lime, lemongrass, and other thai spices.

and I started--and to be honest, finished with, this bitch was strong--the Warlord Imperial IPA (McNeill's Brewery, VT) a beast of an IPA, with caramel and slight notes of apricot.

DBGB has it's own beer "Sommelier", someone who opens and tastes each beer to make sure it is up to standards. Dan says this makes the place classy, I say it's no different than the beer tax I've been taking off my Dad's beers since I've been 13.


For dinner, we started with the Thai Sausage (pork, lemongrass and red curry links, served with green papaya, basil fried rice, chili sauce, and a quail egg).

Winning.


Then I had "Jims Matzoh Ball Soup"

This was my first Matzoh Ball Soup, so I can't really say how authentic it was, but it was pretty damn tasty.


I think Dan regretted not ordering the Fusilli with Octopus and Marrow at Marea, so he had to show me up by ordering the Beef Bone Marrow.

Yes, that is a bone (horf), served with katz's pastrami, watercress, pickled mustard seed and rye bread toast. I'm waiting on Dan to review this dish, because to me it tasted like beefy butter, and not exactly in a good way, but he swears it was fantastic.



We each ordered a burger, and went halfsies. Dan had the Frenchie (6 oz beef patty with confit pork belly, arugula, tomato-onion compote & morbier cheese on a peppered brioche bun with cornichon, mustard & fries), which I found a bit salty,

and I had the Piggy (6 oz beef patty topped with housemade pulled pork, jalapeño mayonnaise & boston lettuce on a cheddar bun with mustard-vinegar slaw & fries)

which may have been the best burger I've ever eaten.

And, finally dessert.

I'm not really the biggest dessert fan, but after such a heavy, meaty meal, who can resist a Meyer Lemon-Poppy ice cream sunday?

(mascarpone & poppy ice cream, lemon cake bites, pomegranate jelly, candied meyer lemon peels).

Um, the cake bites, jelly and candied lemon peel were devine, but something else in there kinda tasted like feet (not that that stopped us from finishing it).


I really enjoyed DBGB. The restaurant itself is dark and loud and casual, but the food is very high quality. It is a tad spendy for burgers and beer, but totally worth it.