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As much as we’d like to laud Belgian newcomer Resto for the things it does right—the beer selection, the delectably fatty pork toasts with deviled eggs, and the pommes frites—Gothamist left late on a recent Tuesday night feeling disgruntled and reluctant to return. An hour and fifteen minute wait for the table became an hour and a half, but we took the busyness to be an indication of a worthy wait. After passing some time at a nearby bar, we headed back to Resto where the hostess noted the weekdays were consistently this busy.
Upon sitting, we scanned the meat-heavy menu and decided on the pork toast appetizer, the best and most timely part of the meal. Three fatty, 2x2” slabs of pork were topped with sliced hard boiled egg and a creamy whipped yolk, every greasy crumble worth savoring. Then the wait began.
We chatted and observed the acoustics: loud (tin ceilings), and lighting: pleasant (neither too bright nor too dark). We took note of the adorable bathrooms, the marble bar counter, and the otherwise rustic décor, though burnished wall sconces seemed more appropriate for a baroque hotel lobby than a Belgian bistro.
Nearly an hour passed before we called on our waiter to do a food check. He declared it would be just a few more minutes. Fifteen minutes later he came back with apologies, but didn’t explain what had gone wrong. The manager visited. The food was reportedly being plated. We joked perhaps preference had been give to the $100 orders of cote de boeuf. Ten minutes later—an hour and fifteen minutes after ordering—a burger, steak frites, and poularde with corn bread pudding, chanterelles, and snap peas arrived at our table.
The pommes frites were delicious. Hot, meaty, perfectly crisped, and served with ramekins of ketchup (sweet chili, lime pickle, cocktail sauce, mayo, or gribiche available at request, $1). The hamburger, recently rated one of New York’s best, was fatty and tender, albeit medium-well when requested medium-rare. Our dining companion, a hamburger expert, still lauded this trifecta of meats: beef cheek, hanger steak, and fatback on a slightly too crumbly Rockland Bakery bun. The steak frites was underwhelming—the meat too rare for our favor, needing a heavy coating off béarnaise. The poularde (another name for “big fat chicken”) was actually a dainty dish, but a tasty one. Sweet roasted corn and fatty pork flavored a savory pudding and complimented tender morsels of chicken.
Dessert—on the house—arrived before we even ordered it. A berry rich parfait with crème fraiche and pieces of waffle was tart, refreshing, and savory all at once. A dense (Belgian) waffle was came with crème fraiche and Belgian chocolate dipping sauces we couldn’t help but finish.
Subtract the three and a half hour dinner time and add a more forthcoming apology, and we suspect the food would have tasted a whole lot better. We’re reluctant, but curious to go back for another stab, on a calmer night or for brunch because our night's service may well have been an anomaly. For now we're going to go on what we know: stick to the pommes frites.
Resto is located at 111 E. 29th Street (near Park Avenue South). 212-685-5585
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WOW!!! I'm shocked! Finally ... an honest restaurant review from Gothamist. Not the usual review-vertisement.
"Our dining companion, a hamburger expert"
What a joke.
Snob! Don't go back, please!
Good to see a slight dismantling of the hype surrounding this decent, but not special, new belgian spot. LONG LIVE PETITE ABIELLE!!!!!!!!
That reference to Rockland Bakery takes me back! I've always thought the bread from Rockland Bakery was great stuff, but I had no idea it would actually be touted on a menu as such.
When I was a kid they would let you walk right through the factory and pluck fresh, hot rolls right off the conveyer belt and eat them on the spot! I wonder if they still do that... probably not.
Sounds like a fair review to me. Maybe it was an off night and they'll get the kinks worked out?
gothamist: how do you know the bread is from rockland bakery?
Thanks for the helpful review, I was considering this place but will think twice. I can accept almost amny kind of delay if sincere apologies are offered. For that kind of wait, a couple of free drinks and 2 orders of fries while you waited should have been the minimum. That's pretty unacceptable. I think I'll wait til they learn what service should be about.
I went here about 2 months ago on a Wednesday or Thursday night. The food was good, the beer selection great, I like the atmosphere although it is a bit loud. My biggest complaint was that when me and 2 friends arrived, there was only 2 or 3 parties ahead of us for a table and it looked like people were going to paying their checks soon so the host told us 'within 15 minutes', it wound up being just over an hour wait, unacceptable. Next time I go back, I'll be sitting at the bar with a pot of mussels and a beer.
Yeah, when I eat at places like this—few tables, lots of hype—I have a light lunch and arrive for dinner between 5:30 and 6:00. Not terribly scene-y, I know, but there's no way I can enjoy a meal when I'm grumpy about waiting for a table (or my food).
Anyway, here's my review from late May, with some more pics:
http://scoboco.blogspot.com/2007/05/resto.html
been there twice, sat at the bar, had no problems getting faster service that way, burger is damn good as is the other food and beer selection...go in the off hours, this weekend will be perfect for an early dinner
First the mamager comes a apologizes and then you get a free dessert and you still have the nerve to say you might not return. Did you want the staff to wipe your ass with their tongue as well. Get a grip bitch.
"An hour and fifteen minute wait for the table became an hour and a half, but we took the busyness to be an indication of a worthy wait."
Not sure...are you complaining about the hour and 15 minute wait...or the 15 minute wait??
Yeah - anything less than the meal being on the house would make that inexcusable.
#12 "Bitch" is a word that demeans all women you twat.
no it doesnt, it just demeans the bitchy ones.
#15, "Twat" is a word that is much funnier than "bitch".
#7: we asked
#13: Not complaining that we waited the first hour and fifteen because they told us we would have to so we expected that much. But, it easily stretched longer, even when there appeared to be open tables, and then they told us our table would be a minute, it was another fifteen.
#17, "Twatbitch" FTW
Total walk out situation.
"hamburger expert"
you mean like the BigMac Man from Supersize Me ?
Why is everyone making such a big deal about the hamburger expert comment? I assumed it was tongue-in-cheek.
And i'm sorry, #12, if you think s/he is being bitchy, but when you are out dropping a chunk of change on a meal and you get truly negligible service (which this was), then yes, i think an ass-licking is in order. Do you think the reviewer should have fawned over the manager for his kindness? Dessert comps are the bare minimum for a goof in a restaurant.
I was at Lucali in Brooklyn a few weeks ago and they gave us the wrong pizza. They comp'ed our entire meal. That was amazing service.
I was there the same night, my second time there (I'm in the second picture, first dude from the right), service was good both times, the wait was the same, long and agonizing. The burger is super-beefy, genius choice of cuts, albeit not the ideal size, review is right about it being overcooked that night. Something must have happened in the kitchen. New cook? A small war? I had the lamb ribs, succulent, loaded with flavor, yogurt sauce cuts the fat, thank fuck. I also ate the Tête de Cochon. D-Fucking-Lish! Curried, deep-fried bits of pork head smashed between toast. I'll keep going back, but only midweek right after they open.
I was there next to # 23 Alastor and I must say either they were trying to drunken me up or they had a new cook in the kitchen. I drank about 8 beers while waiting, no not because it was my 21st birthday that day but because the wait was dreadful, having been there before I ordered some frites as an appetizer and a burger as my main course the frites came in a timely manner....then the wait began and beer after beer, after beer. I felt like I was a freshmen girl at a frat house full of seniors...they were just trying to drunken me up to take advantage of me. The burger was overcooked, but still I can't say that it was bad. But me and my friends were so full off of beer it was hard to even think about dessert. I'd def go back, because the first time we went it was great. I'll go with the best out of 3 logic.
and WTF we didn't get any free dessert for the fucking wait...wah.
I had a meal here two months ago. Everything was very good except the mussels. How could a Belgian restaurant get this staple so wrong? We ordered three pots of mussels and they were all very dry. It seemed like the sauces were put on top of the mussels just before they were served. It was very disappointing given the rave reviews this place got. The manager gave us a full refund. For $22 per pot, skip the mussels and try the other stuff. It was much better.