Last Licks of Winter's Best Dishes

Spring officially kicked off on Saturday, but it often takes a couple weeks for restaurants to switch modes and menus.  Which means that there's still time to savor hearty stews, braised meats, and bistro classics.  We recommend you get your last licks of winter before spring vegetables replace root vegetables at the Greenmarket.  Sure, some dishes are menu fixtures, but we'd rather devote springtime to the short-lived season of asparagus and ramps while we can.  

Bar Boulud and DB Bistro Moderne

1900 Broadway, between 63^rd and 64^th Streets

55 West 44^th Street, between 5^th and 6^th Avenues

Phone: (212) 595-0303 

Last Licks: Coq Au Vin or Braised Oxtail Consomme with Root Vegetables

The French have always had a way with hearty, bistro classics, like cassoulet and tarte tatin.   And nobody does French better than Daniel Boulud.   Cafe Boulud's house specialty is coq au vin, made with braised chicken, hand rolled pasta, lardons, onions and mushrooms.  The menu also features Gascon-style soup with braised oxtail beef consommé & winter root vegetables.   For a modern approach to the French bistro, try the crispy duck confit with wild mushrooms and broccoli rabe at Boulud's DB Bistro Moderne.

 

Dressler

149 Broadway, between Driggs and Bedford Avenues (Williamsburg)

Phone: (718) 384-6343

Last Licks: Braised Lamb Shank with Barley Risotto & Sweet Potato Creme Caramel

This Williamsburg gem paved the way for the Brooklyn restaurant revolution.  Dressler's rustic, yet refined American menu, currently features the best of winter on a single plate -- braised lamb shank with barley risotto, tuscan kale, wild mushrooms, and roasted tomato.  There's also an oxtail ragout with hand-rolled pasta & herbed ricotta.   The desserts are just as rich and rewarding, including an outstanding, sweet potato crème caramel, warm apple crumble, and pear tart tatin.

 

Prime Meats

465 Court Street, at Luquer Street (Carroll Gardens)

Phone: (718) 254-0327

Last Licks: Goulash, House Special of Beef Sauerbraten

Everything from the dark, wood trim and the tavern setting to the northern European menu suggests homey, hearty cooking.   It doesn't get more wintry than house-butchered pork goulash and homemade spaetzle.   Prime Meats is the latest venture from the duo behind Frankie's Spuntino, who've devised a menu with only artisanal ingredients and meats butchered on the premises.  Start with a salad of apples, beets, mixed greens, and pumpkin seeds, and the "house special" -- an amalgam of beef sauerbraten, braised red cabbage, and pretzel dumplings.   The latest venture from the duo behind Frankie's Spuntino   Savor the last of a winter with a salad of apples, beets, mixed greens and toasted pumpkin seeds.e house special of beef sauerbraten, braised red cabbage and pretzel dumplings.  If you only knew goulash as the tomato-based stew served in your school cafeteria, you are in for a pleasant surprise with Prime Meats Hungarian stew of pork gulyas and spätzle.

Savoy

70 Prince Street, at Crosby Street

Phone: (212) 219-8570

Last Licks: Wild Game & Sticky Toffee Pudding

Peter Hoffman has a knack for translating the seasons on your plate.   This charming, two-story eatery boasts two fireplaces and meticulously sourced ingredients from the farmer's market.  There's two seating options, but we prefer the downstairs café and bar.  This winter, Hoffman's embraced the chilly weather with savory wild game, such as roasted saddle and braised leg of Hudson Valley rabbit with chanterelles, polenta, and olives.  For an equally decadent finish, there's two possibilities -- warm,  sticky toffee pudding or candy cap creme brulee.

Bubby’s

120 Hudson Street, at North Moore St.

Phone: (212) 219-0666

Last Licks: Bacon-Wrapped Meatloaf with Brown Gravy

This isn't your average diner food, but it's arguably some of the city's best comfort food.  Especially the bacon-wrapped meatloaf with onion straws and brown gravy.   If you don't get your fill of root vegetables, you'll find plenty beneath the rich crust of their chicken pot pie stocked with a mix of leeks, chicken, and root vegetables.   The dessert menu is packed with a dizzying array of southern pies, including apple whiskey crumble and triple chocolate devil's food cake.  But the best part about Bubby’s is that they're open 24/7 for night owls and late-night