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“A Preview of Daniel Boulud's DBGB”

Daniel Boulud’s empire stretches from Beijing to Vancouver to Palm Beach. Here in New York City alone, he’s running four successful restaurants, but he’s never gone downtown (or downscale for that matter), that is until now, with the expected opening of DBGB Kitchen and Bar in the first half of June. From what The Strong Buzz team saw during a press preview over the weekend, we can’t wait to come back. Here’s Strong Buzz correspondent Bao Ong’s sneak peak at what to expect in at DBGB in June.

At DBGB’s press preview, the 54-year old Lyonnaise chef donned his white chef’s coat over jeans and black leather shoes as he worked alongside his kitchen staff slicing into a juicy “Beaujolaise” sausage with lentils and building “The Yankee”—the restaurant’s classic take on an American burger (a 5 oz. beef patty with lettuce, tomato, onion and NY pickle on a sesame seed bun). “Paris meets Texas,” Boulud says when describing his latest project. “DBGB is a little bit like that.”

Well, maybe in culinary spirit, but not in design. Interior designer Thomas Schlesser — who was recently nominated for a James Beard award for his work at Bar Boulud and won for a Chicago restaurant project — tells The Strong Buzz that the design marries the Bowery’s history as a kitchen supply warehouse center with the sensibilities of a classic French brasserie and the Lower East Side’s edginess. The room will be full of mirrors (good people watching we’re sure) with Boulud’s favorite culinary quotes and items from the menu will be inscribed on them. The restaurant’s glass box entrance leads to a bar area that will also house a café with plans for more than two-dozen two-tops. The mix of concrete floors, ash-colored walls and soothing gray tones opens onto a vast main dining room that will hold a stretch of communal tables straddled by booths on both sides and six inviting banquettes anchoring the other half of the room.

But your attention may very well veer toward the open kitchen and its 14-seat communal table. In front of the L-shaped kitchen you’ll find walls lined with shelves holding various dry ingredients, restaurant supplies and pots donated by chefs like Eric Ripert, Jean-Georges Vongerichten, Thomas Keller and Ferran Adria. “We’re going to put all our junk in the front of the house,” Boulud joked.“We wanted to bring this concept of having fun,” says Javier Cortes, who is part of the graphic design team that’s helped mold DBGB’s more casual feel.

Contrary to the rumors floating around that DB was ready to dive into New York’s burger craze, his menu will just as heartily focus on the art of the sausage. “If you find a good sausage, let me know. I’ll make it,” says Boulud, a self-proclaimed sausage fanatic. Indeed, just as Boulud’s done with Parisian charcutier Gilles Verot at Bar Boulud, creating mouth-watering charcuterie plates, he’s on his way to converting New Yorkers to artisan sausage lovers. We’re ready.

Executive Chef Jim Leiken’s menu offers at least 14 types (ranging from $11 to $15) and spans a variety of flavors across Europe. What to expect? Boudin Basque ($14; a spicy blood sausage over mashed potatoes), Toulouse ($12; it’s made with pork and duck and served cassoulet-style) and Espanole ($13; a chorizo-like sausage). Many of the sausages we tasted — like a spicy lamb marguez with lemon-braised spinach — packed a wallop of flavor with juicy meat mingling with aromatic herbs. There’s even a DB Dog ($18) on the sausage menu but you won’t have to wonder what’s in it. Leiken told The Strong Buzz he uses a shoulder cut of beef for this gourmet hot dog.

For those not sold on sausages, there are also burgers (ranging from $11 to $14 each). Besides the classic Yankee ($11), swine lovers should go for the Frenchie ($16; a crispy pork belly burger with caramelized onions, arugula, cornichons and mustard) or Piggie ($14; Daisy May’s pulled pork with a jalapeno mayo, lettuce and a cheddar-cornbread bun).

But if you want to stick closer to Boulud’s French roots, there’s plenty to choose from on DBGB’s menu. A duo of mackerel served ($7) with a warm shallot-red wine glaze and rillete of toast was a perfect light, spring dish. As you’d expect, there’s steak frites ($29) and seafood platter options (ranging from $30 to $90) for brasserie lovers. And for the more adventurous, fans of “tete au pied” (between $9 and $18) can feast on items like veal tongue, roasted bone marrow, tripe and pig’s trotters dijonnaise.

If that’s too much, skip to the fun dessert menu. An ice cream cart will roam the isles serving up ice cream ($5 one scoop, $8 two scoops and $12 for a jumbo) with flavors like apricot-pistachio, beer-cherry and berry-fromage blanc). Pastry Chef Mimi Eberhardt’s dessert menu also includes hot soufflés in dark chocolate or Grand Marnier as well as warm crepes.

While sausages are the food focus, the alcohol revolves not around French varietals but around lots of good suds. Yes, as in beer. It’s the first time Boulud says he’s given beer as prominent of an emphasis as wine on a menu, declaring, quite matter of factly: “Beer belongs in fine dining.”

There will be 24 beers on tap (starting at $6) and up to an additional 30 craft beers by the bottle. Many selections are local, such as Captain Lawrence of Pleasantville, New York, or Six Point Craft Ales of Red Hook. We sampled a Belgian Allagash at the preview with its smooth amber flavor and hints of citrus notes. But if wine is more your thing, Sommelier Colin Alevras (Tasting Room) has wines by the glasses from $6 to $12, with bottles and one liter carafes starting at $25.

There are bound to be tweaks to the menu before opening day, but the Bowery feels right for Boulud. He says he’s always felt more at home in this edgier and grittier neighborhood and wanted to skip over SoHo, TriBeCa or Chelsea. Maybe it’s his down-to-earth nature or the Bowery’s connection with the restaurant industry.
DBGB was conceived well before any of us heard about the recession sapping our national economy but it also comes at a perfect time. It’s taken Boulud more than 20 years to make it downtown since he traded France for America. So Daniel, we can’t wait to see more of you downtown.

DBGB Kitchen and Bar will open in June and is located at 299 Bowery (between Houston and First St.), 212-933-5300, www.danielnyc.com.

— Bao Ong

To read more about Daniel , check out this New York Times story: http://www.nytimes.com/2009/05/17/business/17boulud.html?_r=1&ref=dining

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Posted: May 23, 2009

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