This past Saturday, I waited for my good friend, Zack, at Resto’s silvery bar, sipping on an ice cold Delirium Tremens as an iPod propped in the corner pumped out classic jukebox tunes. The hum of the dining room was loud and yet the overall ambiance exuded a certain relaxed energy that made me breath more evenly and taste the white, florally beer more deeply.
Okay, enough with that fluffy poetry. Zack had been bugging me to go to Resto since this summer. I told him it was far too hot to eat the heavy, pork-laden food the Times review described in May. A couple of weeks ago I received an email from Zack:
Is it cold enough for resto yet???
I replied with a resounding, YES! It was definitely cold enough to finally gorge ourselves on Resto (plus, you know, all those extra layers of clothing to hide the consequences). We went on a Saturday night. Fortunately for us, Resto finally decided to give up their reservations for parties of 6 only policy. Unfortunately for us the earliest rezzy we could procure was at 9:30pm. No matter.
As I mentioned earlier, I waited for Zack at the bar, admiring the playlist of Journey and Boston as well as the extensive variety of Belgian beers Resto offers. I ordered the Delirium Tremens out of habit of always ordering what I know so I don’t end up sitting there, stammering like an idiot, paralyzed by the paradox of choice, as the bartender waits. I really should have been more adventurous and tried something new like the Blanche de Bruxelles that Zack eventually ordered, a crisp white beer with such a clean finish that the taste disappeared from your tongue almost the minute it touched it.
To start with we had the tete de cochon (translation: pig’s head), deviled eggs, and the veal meatballs.
Blurry photo of the tete sandwiches
I wanted so much to like the tete de cochon, especially after reading all the hype about it, and perhaps they just had an off night, but I did not enjoy it. The dish is described as meat from the pig’s head spiced with curry and aioli, topped with pickles on toasted bread. What we experienced instead was very greasy, very burnt toast with bland meat and one strand of pickled carrot on it. The burnt flavor/smell was so pronounced, in fact, that when I went to put the sandwich up to my mouth to take a bite, the strong odor of burnt bread traveled up my nose, shutting down my tastebuds for the first few seconds after taking that bite (the darkness of the bread in the picture above is not shadow). Zack wondered aloud whether the bread was purposely toasted to death. I doubted it. And yet the dish has so much promise. If only there was a little more pickle, a lot less burning…
The deviled eggs were delicious, just a shade short of over salted. Thankfully, I have a high tolerance for salt, others may not be as forgiving. Overall the dish worked very well. The creamy yolk paired perfectly with the crispy, bacon-y, greaseless pork toasts underneath.
The fantastic meatballs (”bitter ballen”) were made of veal and gruyere cheese. The breaded crust was pleasantly crunchy and the meat juicy and light as air. The tang and spice of the mustard dipping sauce helped cut through any potential heaviness of the fried meat.
We got the mussels cooked in beer with orange zest and garlic. The mussels were very sweet (natural mussel-y sweetness, not sweet from the zest), supple, and fresh, some of the better mussels I’ve had. The broth was flavorful and tasty, but wasn’t overpowered by garlic or citrus flavors.
Now we get to the burger…the burger that launched a thousand reviews. Some even call it the best in the city, which is no small praise considering the heavyweight contenders in this town (Shake Shack, Burger Joint, Corner Bistro, etc.). Resto’s burger is famous for ground fatback mixed with the beef. I suppose this must be part of the reason why they have to cook the burger to medium well/well-done, no matter what you say (so don’t bother trying). I typically like my burgers medium-rare, but this burger was sufficiently moist and tender, despite lacking even a hint of palest pink in the center. The timberdoodle cheese was creamier and more mild than a typical sharp cheddar, although they do share certain background flavors. All in all, a delicious burger, albeit a little small for the price tag ($13). Even putting price aside, I wouldn’t dare to call it the best burger in the city.
As for the fries that came with our mussels and burger, I can see why many have complained about them. They aren’t your typical crunchy French fries. They have a pleasant inner texture and a great potato flavor, but they’re fairly soft with only a slightly crisp outer layer, rather than actually being crispy through and through. The softness wasn’t greasy or limp though, so I enjoyed them. Most Belgian-style frites aren’t really fast food crunchy anyway. The frites that came with the mussels included a sauce of your choice. We had the pickle mayo, which had a decidedly pronounced lime-y flavor, a very different, pleasantly unexpected taste. It balanced well with the fat in the mayonnaise. Again, perhaps others wouldn’t enjoy the strong tartness of the sauce. I happen to love acidic flavors.
The liege (classically Belgian) waffle we ordered for dessert sounded great in theory. Covered in brown sugar and toasted to caramelize it, the waffle is dusted with powdered sugar and served with a small bowl of vanilla creme fraiche. The waffle that was set before us was hard and tough, like a waffle that had grown stale, been frozen, then partially thawed, and then toasted…and then cloaked in cement. The creme fraiche helped mask the terrible texture and I was able to actually swallow a couple of mouthfuls when suddenly I took a bite and nearly gagged. The bite I had taken tasted exactly like bacon…and nothing else. I made a face which quickly prompted Zack to ask what was wrong. I struggled to get the salty bite down before eeking out, “it tastes like pork.” None of his pieces tasted like any pork products, but neither of us were able to finish even half of the waffle either.
And it looked so pretty and promising too…
To all those who plan on visiting Resto, I would recommend you order very carefully. And while there were some minor disasters (the tete de cochon, waffle), there were also some notable highlights (bitter ballen, the deviled eggs) and I’ve never been one to completely write a restaurant off because there are some dishes on its menu that I don’t enjoy or that aren’t done well. The service was professional, but casual, the ambiance lovely, and the beer selection impressive. Why would I let a salty waffle and a burnt sandwich get in the way of that? It’s not like I’ll be forced to order them the next time I return. And I will be returning soon…just not that soon.
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Tete de Cochon - $12
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Bitter Ballen - $9
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Deviled Eggs - $8
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Moule Frites- $18
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Cheeseburger - $13
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Liege Waffle - $6
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Delirium Tremens - $9
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Blanche de Bruxelles - $8
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Total (excluding tax and tip) = $83
