Snack in the Shop

Bloomingdale’s brown bags have long been a familiar sight at David Burke & Donatella, the stylish post-shopping oasis on East 61st Street. Now the connection is more explicit. David Burke has opened a new dining spot on the ground floor of Bloomingdale’s where weary consumers can rest and recharge.This “dual concept restaurant” comes in two parts: a takeout counter called Burke in the Box and a sit-down restaurant, Burke Bar Cafe, that’s open till 10 p.m. Both serve a simple version of Mr. Burke’s fun-loving comfort cuisine. Though the accoutrements – plump banquettes, candy-filled glass tables – are charming, the restaurant feels shoehorned into the slim space. Like fluorescent-lit snack bars in malls and airports, which it somewhat resembles, Burke Bar Cafe takes advantage of its captive, itinerant audience by providing just enough comfort to lure people in, but not as much as a normal restaurant. Lunchtime sees a predictable rush, but dinner is a quieter affair. The $29.95 three-course prix-fixe turns out to be a whopping deal, considering that entrees on their own can run $23 and that Mr. Burke chronically errs on the side of overfeeding his guests. Three of the restaurant’s huge portions in a row will make waddling to a cab challenging, especially with packages.Mr. Burke cooks with a sense of humor, relishing unexpected juxtapositions, but the clownishness doesn’t get in the way of good cooking. Stick close to the menu’s puns and tricks: When his dishes lack that whimsical aesthetic, they often lack in other respects as well. Start with a trio of “cheeseburkers” ($13.95), juicy little spheres of premium beef sandwiched on English muffins and oozing with sharp cheese. Smoked salmon ($12.95) takes cues from pastrami, with a peppery crust and sweet, dense texture; but when the fish is chopped and packed tightly into a tartare with tuna and black olives instead ($12.95), the dish is dryish and ordinary. Lobster is a trademark Burke ingredient, and magnificent in the rich bisque at David Burke & Donatella, but here a similar bisque ($7.50) tastes watered-down. The apple flavor in it comes through more strongly than any shellfish.Likewise, a “millionaire’s meatloaf” ($16.95) is sauced with lobster bordelaise and dribbled with ostensibly lobster-flavored whipped potatoes, but the crustaceans in the dish come through, if at all, as just a faint pink sweetness. The massive loaf itself has the full flavor, and some of the toughness, of beef; the sauce helps out with both conditions. A braised hunk of beef short rib ($19.95) tastes slightly dull, like it’s had a long, grueling day in the oven, but its substantial moat of soupy ditalini and cheese invigorates the dish. A version without the beef would be just as enjoyable.Flavor is paramount in the “angry hen-in-law” ($18.95), a hen coated in garlic, chili, and lemon zest and roasted to a lovely crisp. The moist bird has enough taste of its own to stand up well to the onslaught of seasoning; a side of rich whipped potatoes lightens the dish not a whit.Mr. Burke’s inventiveness seems to fail when it comes to a filet mignon ($22.95): It’s a mystery why such a flavor maven would choose this bland cut to begin with. Here the steak is just one light peppering short of being a generic bellyful of protein; truffled cheese fries on the side offer a reminder of what food is like when it’s tasty. The $9.95 giant hot dog at Burke in the Box does everything the steak should and is almost as tender inside its snappy skin.Heidi Kohnhorst’s desserts (all $7.95) hold their own in the size and flavor stakes. A sundae of banana ice cream, swirled with chocolate sauce and layered with crunchy cashew brittle, is a shareable treat. Maple and bourbon give creme brulee a dose of down-home panache, and an “apple tart” brings together half an apple with caramel sauce.Menus can be clever, but it’s rare for one to elicit an audible laugh, as a dry joke on the cocktail list did. (I won’t give it away.) The drinks (all $12) are good, too, particularly an apple-martini variant made with whiskey, and a “Rock Star” cocktail of champagne and vodka. A full complement of wines, by the glass and bottle as well as a convenient selection of half-bottles, is offered, too. Options include a juicy Bilbao tempranillo ($9) and Joseph Drouhin’s superbly full and harmonious “Vero” white Burgundy ($12).The result of Mr. Burke’s characterful creativity is a department-store restaurant that’s a significant cut above the average. Its foibles keep it from being more than that.David Burke at Bloomingdale’s, 150 E. 59th St., between Lexington and Third avenues, 212-705-3800.

Snack in the Shop

Snack in the Shop

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