04.18.08
Review of Bridge Café, Saturday February 2008
279 Water St. & Dover St., 212-227-3344
Great for: history buffs, après-Brooklyn Bridge trips
It was our anniversary, and we thought a romantic little restaurant that consistently gets good reviews would be the perfect way to celebrate the mutual sharpening of our palates in the year the Boyfriend and I have been together. It’s hidden away under the Brooklyn Bridge in a picturesque, cobblestoned spot that’s been there since the Revolutionary War. The food didn’t live up to our expectations, but we had a lovely time and the staff were very sweet to us, so it was still a good night.
My caesar salad with lardons, croutons and parmesan but no anchovies was good. It came with whole romaine leaves, a style of salad I don’t see very often. I kind of like the assemble-your-own concept but it’s hard to mix salad on a flat plate without making a mess or spreading the dressing around unevenly, so I still prefer pre-cut and -tossed salad. The cheese looked like a giant lacy doily on top of everything and it was yummy, as well as great fun to shatter. The Boyfriend’s Maytag bleu cheese and Bosc pear bruschetta drizzled with lavender honey was interesting with good, strong cheese. I can’t say I’d recommend eating the whole plate, though, as it tends to get cloying.
My lobster pot pie was pretty good, with a lot of crunchy celery, peas, carrots, potatoes and onions. His pan-seared diver scallops with lobster risotto & citrus gremolata was also decent. Both our mains were a little bland, though the seafood was fresh and so were the rest of the ingredients. It’s just that none of it was particularly memorable. The red velvet cake was better. The icing is super sweet and offsets the smooth cake nicely.
When I made the reservation two weeks in advance I mentioned that it was our anniversary, and they actually remembered that on the day, which is even more laudable considering they don’t use Open Table and just scrawl names in a book. The maitre d’ very kindly offered us at half price Domaine St. Michelle champagne, which turned out to be passable. The service was friendly, helpful and mindful of our little celebration. I have to say it was better than the food. Plus our waitress was hot.
The atmosphere is very old-fashioned; it reminded me of a dilapidated old house in the country where they just happen to be serving a lot of food. It’s good for large parties and noisy celebrations (we saw a few of those), and a must for any New York history buffs. The place has been continuously open since 1794, and holds title as both the oldest business and oldest food/drink establishment in all of New York City. It also was a brothel in the late 1850s. I’m glad we went; we had a lovely anniversary, and now I can cross it off my list.
Rating: 6 / 10
Our cost: $130 (1 bottle of half price champagne)
Noise level: quiet hum
Chance of walking in: medium.
