finally, we williamsburg foodies won't have to sojourn across the river into manhattan, just for a grown-up meal. dressler, created by restauranteur colin devlin, is named for the title character of steven millhauser's 1997 novel. martin dressler is a 19th-century new york entreprenuer, who rises through the ranks of society to become the model capitalist, iconic of the american dream.

echoing this theme is the richly adorned, old-world interior. my dinner conversation revolved for 20 minutes around the chandeliers alone: flat steel panels, stencil-shaped and pressure-cut, then cleverly constructed into 3-dimensional objects. loyal to his borough, devlin commissioned these from artisans at the brooklyn navy yard.

the menu is styled as refined americana:  fish, fowl, and steak, cooked simply but with rich, comforting flavors.  i had the striped bass, cooked to a perfect lightness, and served on a pillow of swiss chard and yukon gold potatoes, and encircled by a little entourage of cockles.  tomorrow night i think i'll try the duck.  :)