Revisited: dP, An American Brasserie

The first time I went to dP, I let the buzz words do me in, and I was a little underwhelmed by my main dish. I’ve intended to go back to try other facets of the menu, but getting around and getting back to things gets tough.

Recently, I was selected for jury service, and after having the most horrendous Chinese food lunch of my life at a place around the block from the courthouse, I got enough motivation to haul ass during the lunch break to get to dP, which is 6 blocks from the courthouse uphill.

When I arrived, I was seated right next to Michelle Hines Abram, a young lady who works in PR for restaurants whom I was acquainted with from social media. It was fun to chat with her about food and local stuff while I waited for lunch.

So remember last time I went to dP how I didn’t want to tread the same water as Daniel B.? Well this time, I said, “screw it; I’m ordering the dP burger!” I wanted to go straight to the top!

The dP burger is described as “Ground Adirondack Cattle Co. Wagyu Beef, Shaved Truffles, Seared Hudson Valley Foie Gras, Applewood Smoked Bacon with Oven Roasted Tomatoes, Butter Lettuce”, is served with a side of thin frites, and runs $25. It’s about as luxurious a burger as you’re going to find in the area, and, after the travesty of that Chinese restaurant (it was worse than mall Chinese food!), I needed something to redeem downtown Albany.

The burger has changed in description a little since Daniel wrote that AOA article. So it’s not really the same exact thing.

I mentioned to my server that I had limited time, and, even though it was really busy, she assured me that getting me out of there would be no problem. That was a relief; if lunch was good, I was coming back all week!

I ordered the dP burger medium rare.

Moments later, the burger emerged from the kitchen!

I took a second to get a closer look at the actual burger…

…and to complete the sandwich by adding the lid and cutting it down the center.

The nature of this burger was that every bite was not going to taste the same, merely because of the distribution of toppings across the burger. I made sure that there was at least one bite that got the foie gras, truffle, bacon, vegetables, and beef, and it was outrageous. When you combine all of those ingredients, there is an explosion of flavor and contrast of textures that is very special.

Each component on its own was very nice. The truffles added an earthy and aromatic flavor; the meat was seasoned and cooked masterfully, and flavor of the beef was intense and bold. The foie gras was cooked to perfection; all sides were nicely browned and the creamy, delicious, and buttery foie gras just melted into everything as you ate it. The bacon added some additional saltiness and some smokiness to the whole thing. I really enjoyed the lettuce and thin red onion; they both added some crunch. The tomato didn’t do much for me, and I was a little confused because the description indicated the tomatoes would be oven roasted. What was on my burger was clearly a raw slice of tomato. I just pushed that away. The bun they use is a fully suitable medium for what’s inside; it doesn’t really add much, but it houses some of the greatest bites you’ll have in a burger in the area.

The frites were delicious as well. They come from the kitchen piping hot and well seasoned. I honestly didn’t need the ketchup, which tasted like bottled ketchup transferred to nice china. I really enjoyed the medley of pickled vegetables on the side. I just love cornichons.

After paying, Michelle introduced me to Donna Purnomo, Chef Yono’s wife, who is also responsible for most of the desserts at both Yono’s and dP. Meeting her was also a delight; it’s always great to meet the person responsible for some of your favorite things.

This experience did redeem downtown Albany, and I did go back the next day, but I had a more normal sandwich from the menu. I also had to order some of Donna’s Kentucky Bourbon nut pie…

…and it was just as unforgettable as it was the first time I tried it!