Walter Foods, a recently opened restaurant on a stretch of land in Billyburg with not all that many offerings for gastronomic splendor, is exactly what it should be. A neighborhood joint, a pub, a bustling bistro – call it what you’d like – it’s a lesson in aligning simplicity and honesty with food and service in a comfortable and well-dressed space. Blending the warm tones of an English gastropub with a menu of American classics, Walter Foods delivers for a marked NY crowd sans attitude. A cocktail list featuring classics that “Sinatra would so desire after a show,” such as a Tom Collins, Gimlet, and Manhattan debuts at the bar. At the table, dishes that delightfully fulfill comfort cravings such as French Dip (Filet Mignon with horseradish sauce), Pigs in a blanket (seemingly en vogue this Fall on restaurant menus), Fried 1/2 Chicken with spicy honey, and a Lobster Club on Pullman bread (nothing wrong with this at $16) are a must for the table as are the two spoken desserts. On the nights I was there it was a painfully good chocolate banana bread pudding and an apple crisp. The tiny box of a kitchen with Justin Ernsberger at the helm further enhances the charm of the space, and as the local bus tugs along outside on Grand Street and I sink into my forest green leather banquette, there is a distinct impression of old meets new New York.
Pigs in a blanket
