Bill Baker’s Restaurant and Bar in Brooklyn Review
By Susan Douglin
If you haven’t visited Williamsburg Brooklyn since the late 90s/early 2000’s, then now is the best time for you to do so. You will surely feel like you have taken a trip to a different space in time, because this just isn’t the Williamsburg we all knew! It is now a trendy and light-spirited hidden gem in New York City filled with coffee shops, restaurants, and bars. The scene is a friendly reminder that the best of New York City is not only found in Manhattan. I was so delighted to walk down the streets of Williamsburg to go and visit Bill Baker’s restaurant on Grand Street and with every step I took, I realized just how much Williamsburg Brooklyn has turned into a blend of the West Village in Manhattan and a variety of cultures. There is surely a European-esque appeal as you pass the lofts and art galleries spread throughout the area.
As multicultural as the walk felt, when I approached this new bar in Williamsburg Brooklyn, the sign outside of Bill Baker’s gave me a feel of modern country. I quickly thought, “I’m definitely going to love this place!” Although I’m a native New Yorker, I’m a country girl at heart, and having had the opportunity to live in the South has granted me a bigger appreciation for rich tasting food, good-spirited people, and, of course, great tasting booze!
Once I walked in, I was immediately greeted by a very friendly “Rose” who was standing behind the bar, offering me a flight of beer like nothing I’ve ever seen before. Now, I’m not saying that I’ve never seen beer before; I’ve just never seen it served in four glasses at a time. Who sits down and has a flight of beer all at one time? New Yorkers do, that’s who!
So Rose went on to describe this great signature line of Ales by Adam and Nels that included their Vanilla Porter, Belgian Wit, and ESB. Although they were all out of it, typically, there is a fourth glass with Rye Pale Ale. Say what? Let’s go over that again:
The Vanilla Porter: The American Porter is a creamy dark vanilla beer.
The Belgian Wit: The Belgian Wit is a Belgian-style wheat refreshing beer with a very smooth taste.
ESB: This English Amber Ale is malty with a hint of fruit.
Just in reading the description of those three selections, I hope you get the drift of the draft variety available at this new bar in Brooklyn. Their selections accommodate a broad range of taste buds, so there’s something for everyone here, making it so easy to become the neighborhood’s favorite bar. My taste buds favor anything that’s light, and when it comes to drinks, with a hint of fruit. Needless to say, my favorite was the ESB! While I enjoyed sipping each, I took a look at their extensive menu, and realized one trip to this new bar in Williamsburg was clearly not going to be enough, especially since the beer menu is only the starter. The real deal was served later on after the food.
After working up an appetite sipping on the beer, I moved onto the food. The first perfectly proportioned dish that was presented to me was the Shrimp with Cheese Grits, adorned with bacon. As if the beer did not already “have me at hello” along with the country music that was playing in the background, this was the first time I had grits anywhere that I absolutely could not get enough of! The texture of these cheese grits was smooth and light, and they were perfectly seasoned. Contrasting with the crunchy bacon, it was just perfectly coupled. The shrimp was fresh and tasty with a sauce that gave it just the right zing. It was so refreshing to have bar food that didn’t taste like it was heated in a microwave. I pretty much inhaled this dish, and was excited for what would come next.
My next plate was the Crisp Pickles, and I’m so glad it was up to the staff which order the plates came out, because otherwise I don’t know which of these decadent dishes I would have preferred first. This dish definitely got my attention! Tempura’d pickles are just a must-have whenever you are at an American cuisine eatery. I didn’t ask the staff about the oil in which the tempura was fried in, but it was definitely light and unnoticeable, which is important when eating anything fried. The pickles were lightly deep-fried and very crispy which made for a nice bite against the softly tart and juicy dill pickles. The sriracha aioli was the way to go when deciding what to add as a sauce on this plate. At this Southern point of the night, I was ready for some bourbon! But not before this next dish.
The NY Reuben Spring Roll was next, filled with top quality pastrami, corn beef, Swiss cheese, sauerkraut (that was actually not overpowering in taste), and toasted caraway seeds, all brought together with Russian dressing. Need I say more?!
Just about anywhere you live in New York City you can find a Cuban sandwich at your favorite Spanish food restaurant. Who doesn’t know what a Cuban is, right? Some sort of variation of ham and cheese with pickles and mustard. Wrong! Think again! Bill Baker’s Bar in Brooklyn has creatively added to their menu a Duck Cuban Sandwich that consists of roasted duck, fresh Westphalian ham, grilled rustic bread, Emmentahler Swiss cheese, decked with local pickles and Dijon Mojo. The addition of duck confit was a surprisingly nice twist, and I don’t know that I ever want another Cuban sandwich in my life without it, or the Mojo for that matter. The Mojo was just the right sauce to give this Cuban sandwich a fresh and spicy flavor along with the Dijon. Well done Bill Baker’s! Well done.
Now my eating excursion had come to an end, and although I felt like I couldn’t fit another thing in my system, the bartender convinced me to try one of their creative cocktails, which went well as a delightful dessert to wash down all of the amazing food I had been served. I tried the Bakers Daughter cocktail. This drink was a very delicious mixture of fresh pressed English cucumbers, Tito’s vodka, St. Germain, fresh lemon juice, a sage infused syrup, and topped with proseco. It was such an easy and refreshing drink, that I can totally see how it could become dangerous on any given night. One is just not enough. The appealing taste makes it so easy to continue ordering back to back. Leave your car keys at home!
Of course, I couldn’t leave an eatery that had “bourbon” on the sign outside without actually trying their bourbon. I went for Miss Ellen’s Blackberry Bourbon, which is a fresh muddled blackberry and mint bourbon mixed with berry syrup, lemon and then topped with Cuvée des Jocobins. All of that means that it’s a spicy bourbon over ice. If you like a drink that says “HEY! I’m drinking tonight!” Then this is the drink for you. It’s robust in taste and should be sipped slowly to fully grasp all of the flavors and the effect the drink has on you overall.
The ambiance: Although the staff stated that the music genre varies depending on the day, tonight it had a light rock, alternative, and country music feel. The crowd was friendly and social adding to the very laid-back, neighborhood bar feel. As I do in most establishments I eat in; I paid attention to the cleanliness of the venue, and it was surely top notch. I used the restroom upon entering, and once I saw just how clean their bathroom was, I felt comfortable eating and drinking here. The staff was super friendly and very attentive, adding a component to the establishment that makes you want to come back, which is exactly what I will be doing. Bill Baker’s in Brooklyn has not seen the last of me!