In a borough with a dining culture defined by corner delis, souvlaki, red-checker-tableclothed Italian bistros, and Thai restaurant after Thai restaurant, there are few chefs willing to strive for the panache of Manhattan’s fine-dining scene. Cafés in Williamsburg are more likely to offer a gimmicky (though admittedly seductive) menu of kiddie-inspired Mac ‘n Cheese or Fluffernutter sandwiches than marrow-rich Mother Sauces rendered with classic Lyonnais technique. Thankfully there are exceptions, and Dressler (along with its big sister Dumont) is the vanguard of Brooklyn’s gastronomic refinement.

Trained at the French Culinary Institute, Chef Polo Dobkin has created a seasonal New-American menu that reinterprets classic European pairings (and a few Asian highlights) with flair and style. Massive, buttery diver scallops are set with the earthiness of salsify, truffle oil, and mushroom. Loin of monkfish is bacon-wrapped and paired with lentils, kale, and roasted tomato. In what seems like a whimsical flourish of inspiration, pan-roasted quail is garnished with black-eyed peas, grits, and pickled watermelon.

The dining room is framed in art-nouveau cast iron and the textures of exposed brick and gleaming metal creates a haunting and intensely-romantic setting. Service is proper, the staff is overtly friendly and knowledgeable, and the wine list is compact but intelligently chosen. Dobkin’s dishes are intense. Fish is bright and cleanly-flavored; starches are rich and butter-dense; meats have a wondrous dichotomy of delicacy and assertiveness.

Dressler’s greatest charm is its subtlety in executing pure craft. The non-foodie can enjoy his entree without noticing the balance between the sweetness of perfectly-roasted pork loin and the clever bite of mustard and herbed spaëztle. He may not see that the yellowfin of his tuna tartare is diced into exacting quarter-inch cubes. There is something else that sets this experience apart from its Manhattan equivalent. The execution, elegance, and service standards are there, but the pretension and ritualization are not. The trend of making formal dining less serious and stuffy is practiced rather than merely preached. There’s no novelty to arriving in comfortable jeans, one simply arrives in comfortable jeans.

-Craig Schum