#54 – GLAZED MEAT LOAF SANDWICH at RYE

SADLY, RYE IS NOW CLOSED.

Is it just me or do all the new restaurants in Williamsburg look alike?  And to frustrate me even more, most of them don’t even have a sign out front.  You just have to know it’s there, or get close enough to look at the menu on the door (if there is one – a menu not a door) to see if this is the place you were looking for.  Inside, it’s all very hip and comfortable and really makes you feel like you’re in an exclusive, yet casual neighborhood.  And in many ways you are.

Once I took the risk of entering the unmarked door to Rye, I was welcomed with some great service and some very comforting (and gut busting) food.  If it wasn’t for Time Out’s list and the other press surrounding this restaurant, I probably would not have ventured into this building.  I can’t imagine that they do much first-time walk-in business.

And if it wasn’t for our lovely server and the comfortable decor, I might not come back here.  Nothing was wrong with the food, I just found it all rather predictable and uninspired.

The brussels sprout special had the requisite bacon addition, but they were tasty and well-prepared.  The beet salad was beautifully presented and had an interesting herbed chévre (goat cheese) with pine nuts for texture.  I was not crazy about the crab croquette, which was lacking a strong crab flavor and was overwhelmed with bread crumbs.

But the best dish, fortunately, was the list item: Glazed Meatloaf Sandwich.  I never grew up eating meat loaf, so there’s no nostalgic place in my gut for this dish.  But this was pretty special because it’s not made with just the predictable chopped beef.  The chef combines short rib, pork, veal, and duck.  You know, all the lean meats.  It does add a special richness to the sandwich.  And the meat has a nice deep spiced flavor.  I found the addition of buttermilk fried onions to be a bit much.  I would have preferred onion rings or french fries on the side.  It sort of took away from the flavor of the meat loaf.

I’m glad I sometimes take these risks in Williamsburg and walk through an unmarked door.  I could end up in a strange warehouse somewhere, but so far, I’ve only found myself in hip, Southern-influenced casual gourmet restaurants.  And as nice as they are, it’s all getting a little predictable.

Would Rye’s Glazed Meatloaf Sandwich make my Top 100 of the year?  It’s certainly delicious meat loaf.  I thought it could have done without all the decadence, but it gets a 7 out of 10 since it was a tasty dish in a smart comfy Brooklyn restaurant – just like all the others.