The longtime chef at Dressler, which was the first fine dining destination in Williamsburg (if you don't count steakhouse Peter Luger), has launched a new venture at the same location, two years after he parted ways with owner Colin Devlin. Called Meadowsweet, the restaurant marks a departure from its predecessor's moody-yet-sexy atmosphere, embracing a bright and airy vibe with abundant light, a fresh herb garden, floral wallpaper and exposed wooden beams. The original tile floors, which date back to the early 1900s, remain gloriously intact, but everything else about Dressler has been replaced by something buoyant and cheery.
Chef Polo Dobkin, who won Dressler its Michelin star—a rarity for Brooklyn at the time—is doing a simple, Mediterranean-inspired menu (below) that puts the fresh ingredients front and center. This month there's cavatelli with fava beans and rabbit; pancetta wrapped quail with black mission fig, roasted radicchio & pickled watermelon; and an intriguing entree of Scottish salmon with asparagus & morels. Stephanie Lempert, Dobkin's wife and partner in Meadowsweet, is in charge of the seasonal cocktail menu, which utilizes fresh ingredients from the aforementioned herb garden.
149 Broadway (by Bedford Avenue), Williamsburg, Brooklyn // 718-384-0673
