DBGB

Disappointing..learn how to cook a burger!

by dineout19

I can't believe this is a DB place. He should be embarassed. We had a party of 10 for brunch. 5 of us ordered the mediocre at best burgers and only 2 were cooked to the correct temperature. Mine was raw and then when sent back came out over cooked. My friend's chicken was raw and one other person's sausage was raw. Portions are tiny, no great flavors and all at a premium price for brunch, Charging $16 for that burger is a joke. Stick with PJ Clark's. The atmosphere is cool but I prefer food over atmosphere.

DMANBURGER "DBGB Kitchen and Bar"

by DMANBURGER , Citysearch Contributor

New York historic neighborhood, The Bowery has adapted to change and delivered many colorful stories throughout history, beginning in the 1600′s where the name was drawn from the Dutch word “bouwerij” for farm, to CBGB’s the city’s infamous den of punk rock and excess, to the restaurant suppliers peddling cookware on the sidewalks, and now today where sleek hotels and famed restaurants are cropping up it seems-every day. DBGB Kitchen and Bar- with the name a word play on the fore mentioned iconic muso haunt, is one of those spots that delivers a delicious and raucous sausage beer and burger experience. Daniel Boulud previously had a habit of establishing his niche in the culinary world with Uptown palatable institutions, Boulud now stylishly down markets his stable of eateries, with a glass, steel facade at the foot of a residential building in The Bowery. DBGB honors past culinarians with graffiti-like etchings and cookware memorabilia. The menu reflects his French roots, but focuses more on comfort and casual with an inventive element accented through exotic international flavors. Sausages, burgers and beer are the staples highlighting a banger pork fest with every kind of sausage imaginable, like the Toulouse [a pork, duck gizzard and garlic link served with cassoulet beans]; the Beaujolaise [a pork, mushroom, onion, bacon and red wine link with lentils du puy]; and the Tunisienne [a lamb and mint link with harissa, lemon braised spinach and chickpeas]. The burgers are equally inviting, with a trio of adorable names like The Yankee, The Piggie and The Frenchie which is stacked with a 6 oz. beef patty with confit pork belly, arugula, tomato-onion compote and Morbier cheese.

The spacious restaurant welcomes you with a modern, sleek eatery style bar and brings you under a dark wood floor to ceiling shelves cluttered with copper pots and pans previously owned by famous food icons. I sauntered through the entrance of the dining room, inquisitively glaring for my favorite chef’s cookware. The dining room is sectioned in comfortable booths, with an open kitchen and server area that is dramatically playing alongside every diner. First on the tasting list for me was the Tunsienne, dark red sausage curled around a mound of rich braised spinach, the sausage was spicy and complex, but definitely smaller than expected. When I saw a Anthony Bourdain re-run featuring DBGB- where him and Frank Bruni snarfed away at sausage after sausage, they just looked bigger and fatter-but I guess everything does on TV. The Beaujolaise that followed was much larger and heartier than the Tunisienne, the symphony of pork flavors delicately played with the lentils offering a sweet and rich after tone.

After several tankards of ale, the talk and mood at our table was loud and impatient as we waited for the twenty-something actor/foodie to deliver our Frenchie. Served up neatly on a peppered perfectly formed bun was this precisely constructed specimen of burger masterdom. Sitting in the middle of a sea of white porcelain the burger was flanked by crunchy cornichons and a flute of crispy well done French Fries, the bite was an eye-roller display of happiness-the bun was expertly toasted, and the bitterness of the arugula sweetness of the tomato compote teamed with pungent flavor of the Morbier made for quite the memorable bite. Pork belly definitely played a lead role in the taste and texture of this juicy burger; its ribbons of melted fatness glistened and erupted in the mouth with every bite. Interestingly, I heard that originally the Frenchie was sans cheese when it was first invented? Kudos to Boulud, for including the excellent Morbier. As an haute burger goes the Frenchie one of the hautiest! -Boulud is quite the culinary genius and let’s not forget, a businessman.

• Pros: burgers
• Cons: can get pricey

Life exists below midtown!

by Frau Frieda

Wow - i feel young again. DBGBs was great. The food was casual and comfortable. The service was incredible and the sommelier knew her stuff! My only complaint was that the window seats can use some cushions for those of us who don't come with our own built in.

• Pros: Great food, great service, great atmosphere

Great Night!

by eastcoastcritic

Wednesday evening my girl friend from out of town, my sister and I headed to DBGB for dinner. I had heard mixed reviews but was very much looking forward to having my own experience there.

We sat in the front room near the bar and waited for a while before our server Matt made his way over (this was at 7:30pm). After handing us the wines by the bottle list we asked to talk to the Sommelier who arrived moments later. We spoke to Caleb and I inquired about a 1995 Chianti which he said would be a good wine to start with. We waved it in.

Matt came back to take our order. My sister got the Chop Chop salad and the Paleron Carbonnade (flat iron steak braised in dark beer, root vegetables and gingerbread croutons). Our friend ordered the Grilled Calamari and Tunisienne (lamb, mint mergues with harissa lemon braised spinach and chickpeas). I went for the Asparagus Soup with a Duck Confit Toast and the Chili-Glazed Soft Shell Crabs (they are in season).

The apps arrived and soon after my sister commented that her salad had no taste and that the dressing was very heavy so she sent it back. The server and Sommelier were really cool about it. My soup was VERY hot and so was the bowl (as it should be) and was delicious! My girlfriend loved her grilled calamari. Soon the Chianti was gone and we ordered another bottle of wine, this time going with France. I didn't get the name (Oops).

The entrees took a while but Matt and Caleb kept checking on us and our water was constantly being refilled. The restaurant was packed and the crowd and ambiance were good.

The smell of burgers and fries were driving us crazy and we vowed to return to see how they taste.

Finally the entrees arrived and we dug it. The kitchen also sent us a Beaujolaise (pork, mushroom, onion, bacon and red wine link with lentils du puy). WOW, that has to be one of the BEST sausages I have ever tasted and the lentils were divine too. The soft shell crabs looked beautiful and tasted wonderful. The sweet chili glaze was an excellent choice and I was in heaven. My sister's steak was tender and flavorful with baby turnips and other root vegetables. I had a taste and was very impressed. Next I had to have a bite of my friend's lamb sausage which was beautiful.

We ordered a dessert and went with the rhubarb tart with rhubard ice cream which was very good.

With dinner finished Caleb suggested a madeira, what a way to end the night! But then, we were having such a good time that we ordered a third bottle of wine and a cheese plate. Poor Caleb and Matt probably thought that we were never going to leave. The cheese choices did not impress me but we ordered a 3 cheese selection. Portions were less than 2 ounces which was not cool but the bread that came with it was delish! We finished up and were the last 3 people left in the restaurant. No one ever rushed us, service was great, Sommelier very knowledgeable and in tuned with what wine we wanted, atmosphere very relaxing and over all a great experience. I will be back to order the bone marrow and a burger, or two!

• Pros: Location, Decor, Service, Sommelier, Food and Wine
• Cons: Sat in bar area, wish we had been in the main dining room

3rd time and still no charm

by dominco

i wanted to give this restaurant several tries before making up my mind about it, unfortunately what i noticed has been a gradual decline from not such a high point to begin with.

the sausages and burgers here are the main draw, supplemented by apps and a limited selection of main plates. in our most recent visit, our group of 6 tried an assortment of the sausages, including ones recommended by our server, followed by burgers for some and steak frites for others. the 2 steak frites were sent back given their lack of taste, toughness and incorrect cooking temperature. likewise with one of the burgers. there is nothing that stuck in my mind about the food. what did stick in my mind are the $16 martinis that come in glasses I thought were only used in Utah as part of the state's liquor portioning laws. They were somewhere between 1/2 - 2/3 the size of an ordinary martini glass, making it one heck of an expensive martini. adding insult to injury was the $10 approximately half-pint serving of a beer on tap (the selection is quite satisfactory though).

i am not one to complain about high tabs but for $100 per person before tip, i can name several dozen much better experiences, including some of DB's other restaurants.

the one glimmer of hope was when DB himself was spotted walking into and around the restaurant circa 11pm, however, even this did not change the below par outcome of our experience.

• Pros: well-designed space, energetic atmosphere
• Cons: quality of food, drink prices