Overall CID rating 3 out of 5
Thumbs Up: decor, ambiance, service, crabcake
Thumbs Down: lack of balance of flavors, missing essence of key ingredients
Recommendations: Skip the brunch and head straight for dinner!!
“CID Highlight” – Pretzel-Crusted Crabcake: CID rating 4 out of 5
The highlight of our brunch. The crabmeat was plentiful and fresh. The pretzel crust was a crunchy surprise. The sweet and tangy sauces added a new spin to what is usually a heavy cream sauce that is paired with crabcakes. It was refreshing and a good portion-size.
Decor: CID rating 4 out of 5
I absolutely adore the decor and ambiance. It was completely packed with diners but still maintained a low hum of conversation. The blown glass art pieces added color and a little bit of fun to the space. The service was prompt and attentive.
Popovers and Butter on a Salt Stone: CID rating 3.5 out of 5
The bread reminded me of popovers I had in Bar Harbour, Maine. Crispy on the outside but moist on the inside. But that dish came as a dessert filled with vanilla ice cream topped with chocolate syrup. Oh, Jordan Pond… The butter came in a pretty formation sitting atop a piece of rock salt. And I think every restaurant should provide a small dish on the house for the diners to try. I can’t remember what our dish was which probably means it wasn’t that good.
Lobster-Lemongrass Bisque: CID rating 3 out of 5
The lemon-grass was overpowering. There was no balance between the lobster and lemon-grass in the soup. The lobster stick you see laying across the bowl was good and unique. It was crispy but the minced lobster on the inside didn’t hit the spot with flavor.
“DBD” Classic Eggs Benedict: CID rating 3 out of 5
When I read the description of this dish, one ingredient popped out at me. CHORIZO! I was delighted to try a spin on a French Classic. But who knew that it would come in the form of a paper thin slice hidden under the eggs and sauce. I know the phrase “a little goes a long way” but this was ridiculous. There was no added flavor from the chorizo. It might as well have been non-existent. I would’ve rated this dish higher because it was actually a really good eggs benedict dish especially with the shoestring potatoes but it’s the concept of over promise under deliver that I’m not a fan of.
Kobe Hash: CID rating 2 out of 5
I generally try to steer clear of anything hash unless I’m at a diner or deli. They have the competition beat. This dish proved my point even more. The Kobe could’ve been any other kind of meat. I couldn’t tell the difference. It was cubed and chewy. The bed of potatoes and peppers looked burned and tasted like I can do better. Sadly, I have done better. Shall I share my recipe? We can leave that for another day and another blog. I’m just glad that this dish isn’t a part of DB&D’s regular menu.
Strawberry Creme Brulee: CID rating 3 out of 5
I only had one question, “Where’s the filling… I mean strawberry?” It wasn’t in the decorative plating, it wasn’t cut up into small pieces in the creme brulee, and the juice wasn’t reduced to a syrupy concoction to be integrated with the creme mixture. So where was it? It literally felt as if someone had taken the filling out. Once I got over this perplexity, I reluctantly consumed the good yet plain vanilla creme brulee I ordered. Though the portion seemed super-sized as far as desserts are concerned, this dish left me wondering and disappointed.
David Burke’s Cheesecake Lollipop Tree: CID rating 2.5 out of 5
These sweet little pops won me over in presentation but it wasn’t long before the excitement died. This item lacked one word, “freshness”. The mixed nuts coating the white and milk chocolate outer layers were stale. The only crunchy ingredient was the chocolate coating which should have been smooth and silky but crumbled in my mouth instead of melted. The cheesecake center was less than impressive because it was overpowered by all the other elements. This dish came with homemade bubble-gum flavored whipped cream. But who likes their chocolate to taste like bubble gum? If you do, then this dish is for you. It seemed to be a hit amongst the rest of the diners but were they returning diners or first-timers like me who would definitely not order this dish again. Sure it’s perfect eye candy, but the bottom line is taste. This dish was definitely not up to par especially being priced at $18. They should turn this dish into a make-your-own cheesecake-lollipop with chocolate fondue. That way all the ingredients can be fresh and it’s still fun.
