Every week, I document another dish that impressed and satiated me during my food adventures around New York City
SADLY, DENIZEN IS NOW CLOSED.
When bread pudding is on the dessert menu, I usually keep looking for another sweet option. Not sure why but I would rather have a dessert with chocolate, caramel, or even fruit. Perhaps I find bread pudding to be a little too savory.
I guess I’m not the only one because one of the most popular items on the brunch menu at Denizen is savory bread pudding.
Denizen is a neighborhood wine bar in Williamsburg that is very well-regarded but I feel has never got the big press that some of the other hot spots in the neighborhood have. I’d love to get out here for dinner and drinks one night, but the low key brunch I enjoyed at the bar was pretty phenomenal.
The staff was very laid back and non-pretentious and based on the way they were chatting with other diners I could tell they clearly know their stuff when it comes to wine and food.
The savory bread pudding was really in a league of its own. Instead of nuts and raisins like you might expect at dessert, this was studded with bits of pickled vegetables. Browned like a piece of french toast, it’s topped with a combination of the richest ingredients you could imagine. If braised oxtail and cheese sauce were’t enough, it’s got a perfectly poached egg as its centerpiece.
Despite its gut bomb aspirations, it was just the right size to not be too indulgent. It was layered and expertly prepared. And it would go great with the right wine pairing – even at brunch. And the staff can certainly help you navigate that.
I really liked Denizen and can’t wait to find my way back for dinner one evening. And based on their savory version, if bread pudding was on their dessert menu, I might just order it. Price: $16
| DENIZEN |
| 88 Roebling Street (at North 7th Street), Williamsburg, Brooklyn (929) 337-6412 |
| denizenbrooklyn.com |
