dining 101: the food sluts

#69 The Dutch

Cornmeal flapjacks with salted butter and blueberries $16

Three decently sized pancakes, served fresh from the griddle. The grainy cornmeal offered a more interesting take on this traditional brunch fare. Unlike flour pancakes, which are light, sweet and fluffy, these were dense and slightly savory. The butter was thick, creamy and certainly salted. (One of the best parts of slathering it on pancakes is watching the creamy stuff slowly melt.) Unfortunately, the blueberries were unexpectedly served as a compote, which was a little too mild and syrupy for my tastes - I would have preferred fresh blueberries. Instead, I ended up having to slowly scoop the compote out onto my pancakes, only to be disappointed it wasn’t more tart. That sugary punch would have added valuable balance to this surprisingly savory dish.

Applewood smoked bacon $7

Yum yum. Thick rashers of smoky bacon, crunchy not crispy - just how I like ‘em. I dipped mine in syrup and munched away.

Almond French toast with bananas foster $16

My dining companion definitely made the better decision when he ordered plate of rich, sweet, almond and banana goodness. Four big slices of thick bread, battered, grilled and doused in tasty syrup. The “toast” could have been a bit more toasted: it was delicious but a bit too soft and sloppy. The chunks of sugared, cinnamon-sprinkled banana were proudly placed on top of the dish were just right. The cold and creamy scoop of vanilla ice cream (I wished there was more) balanced the hints of smoky rum. All of this was garnished with crunchy flakes of almond and icing sugar. Though, I thought the almond flavors could have come through stronger. Not too bad for French toast and definitely worth ordering next time you pop by for brunch.

(If you’re interested, Bananas Foster was apparently invented in 1951 by chef Paul Brennan in the fine city of New Orleans. This fine dessert was created for Richard Foster, a restaurant regular who served with Brennan on the New Orleans Crime Commission.)

Overall, The Dutch does a fine job at brunch. The space is light and airy, the atmosphere energetic and the servers friendly and attentive. Unfortunately, I found the food mild, simple and slightly unimaginative. The preparation was good but not enough to compensate. For example, the blueberry compote could have been fresher and the toast better cooked. The Dutch is definitely a social experience, though. I very happily bumped into two people I knew!

The Dutch

131 Sullivan St.

212-677-6200