For many New Yorkers, a complimentary basket of warm bread at the start of the meal is a diner’s given right. But this year, more restaurants are putting bread on the menu — instead of on your table.
“It’s something that should be sold, not given away,” says chef Angelo Romano of the Pines.
The Gowanus newcomer has eschewed free bread since opening in September, not only because of the high cost of offering complimentary food, but because of the risks associated with ordering a commodity in the morning that you need for an evening service. In lieu of the common breadbasket, the Pines has made the first item on the menu a bread sampler ($6), featuring three varieties from Grandaisy Bakery — a thick crusty filone; stirato, or an Italian baguette; and seared wheat with sunflower and pumpkin seeds — that the restaurant pairs with organic caraway butter. Does it sell? “Twenty-five percent of clients order it,” says the chef.
There’s a similar philosophy at the acclaimed Gwynnett St. in Williamsburg (312 Graham Ave.).
“We wanted to serve a bread offering that was elevated to start out your experience,” says the restaurant’s owner, Carl McCoy. The whiskey bread with cultured butter ($5) does just that. Baked fresh and served to order, the loaf, inspired by a recipe from chef Justin Hilbert’s family friend, has the same consistency as Irish soda bread and is offered on the regular menu and is also included with the restaurant’s seven-course tasting menu.
So how do customers feel about having to fork over extra money for something that used to be a given? For the most part, so long as it’s tasty, there are no issues.
“If you’re doing that, then it better be damn good bread,” says Brandon Kienzle, a Williamsburg resident who’s noticed the trend more in Brooklyn than Manhattan. His verdict on Gwynnett St.’s whiskey bread? “It’s worth it.”
But not everyone agrees — even chefs who pay a premium to offer bread from the city’s top bakeries. “Honestly, I never thought of selling it,” says chef Bill Telepan of the eponymous Telepan. He proudly offers ciabatta from Sullivan Street Bakery along with a variety of rolls from Amy’s Bread and is happy to refill baskets at no extra cost. “In the scheme of things, it’s not cheap,” he admits, but stands firm. “With our style of restaurant, it’s just one of those things you offer.”
Does everyone really need that basket of diet-sabotaging carbs anyway?
“More people are conscious about eating bread,” points out Ginger Pierce, the chef of the popular downtown restaurant Peels. Despite having an in-house bakery, they opt not to provide complimentary breadbaskets. Diners can either request some sliced baguette to accompany their meal, or order Parker House rolls ($5) — tender, buttery — to satisfy their carb craving.
“If we didn’t have bread available upon request, people could potentially be put off,” admits Pierce.
To make the idea of paying go down a little easier, some restaurants that have bread on the menu offer an assortment of accompaniments to go with it. Momofuku Ssam Bar (207 Second Ave.), for example, delivers on its pork theme by offering bread with sea salt butter and whipped lardo ($8). Jim Lahey’s Co. (230 Ninth Ave.) offers a rustic sourdough with options including Vermont-made butter ($5), extra virgin olive oil ($5), ricotta ($6) and aioli ($5). And though the Middle Eastern restaurant Taboon serves a complimentary slab of house focaccia at the start of the meal, it also offers an array of spreads and dips — schoog, tzazkli, hummus and others — on the menu to lure customers into buying their second or third loaf. According to general manager Christopher Birk, eight out of 10 tables do — a profitable ploy at $4.50 a pop.
But the real shift comes at restaurants that are treating bread as a star in its own right.
“We want to elevate each component,” says Matt Lightner of the 15- to 20-course tasting menu at Atera. He devotes two courses to bread, including rye bread with butter encased in an aged cheese rind and, more elaborate sourdough rolls that he bastes in pork fat for a rich flavor.
“If you can make your own dish, you should,” says the young Swedish chef Fredrik Berselius of Aska. The Williamsburg restaurant uses its house-baked bread to set the tone for the meal.
“The first thing customers get from the kitchen is the bread,” the chef points out. To deliver on that first impression, they serve a house-baked bread bowl containing whole wheat flour flatbread brushed with brown butter and “classic Swedish” caraway and fennel rolls, served with organic butter. “We put a lot of care into it,” Berselius says. “We’re proud of our bread.”
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