Rye opened in Williamsburg in the Spring of 2009. As a 15-year resident of the area, chef/owner Cal Elliott's idea for Rye was to create a welcoming neighborhod restaurant where no matter what your pocketbook, you could enjoy great food—from a hearty sandwich and a drink at the bar to fine dining in a leather-cushioned booth.
Elliott had been working in some of Manhattan’s premier restaurants since 1994, including the Markham, Blue Hill and Gramercy Tavern. In 2003 he took over as chef at DuMont in Williamsburg. Following its success, DuMont Burger and Dressler opened with Elliott as co-chef at all three. Dressler received a coveted Michelin star and two stars from the The New York Times its first year.
Housed in a building which had once been a factory, Rye restored the floor, walls and ceiling and acquired a 100–year–old oak bar. There was no new construction, it was all restoration, a labor of love. The menus were put together with equal care to offer a range of delicious drinks and food choices, from small snacks to main courses, at reasonable prices.
Rye serves dinner seven nights a week and brunch on Sundays.
Time Out New York American bistro from chef Cal Elliott is unexpectedly egalitarian … a menu of high quality delicious food at a very reasonable price point … The same chef who created a sandwich of melting shortribs with creamy garlic-horseradish vinaigrette excelled at a delicate butter-poached lobster with citrusy corn salsa, sweet corn flan and créme fraîche-enriched avocado mousse. The cocktails … featured a tight list of both classic and original concoctions worthy of an antique setting. There is real talent and pride coming from the kitchen at Rye. It's a restaurant that projects a quality all too rare among the hipster brood: sincerity.
The New York Times Real merit and considerable merriment … Rye's owner is the chef Cal Elliott, whose contribution to the Williamsburg culinary scene is significant … the dark woodwork and the pressed tin ceiling looked like lovingly restored, freshly gleaming holdovers from some pub-brasserie hybrid going back decades … the cooking appealingly compliments the atmosphere … The meatloaf sandwich, wet and wild enough to qualify as a sloppy Joe - an enormous, fantastic one at that … A salad of house-smoked sturgeon, frisée, potatoes, pancetta and horseradish, concentrated here in one hugely satisfying appetizer … the doughnuts are warm and crunchy and there's a cordial … excellent as a vaguely orange-flavored mix of rye and espresso.
New York Press A night of fine dining, good service and relaxed atmosphere … the room separates the bar from a more intimate area which offers the promise of privacy so you can actually have a decent conversation … we were surprised at the large side dishes Rye served up … Berkshire pork belly which melted on my tongue … finished up our wonderful spicy wine from the Hudson River Valley, and took in the slow, relaxing feeling that seems to naturally come to Rye.
Tasting Table While the classic whiskey cocktails and vintage stylings set the scene at Williamsburg’s new Prohibition-hip Rye, it’s the 1950’s – not the ‘20’s – that inform the restaurant’s finest dish. Easily overlooked on a menu of artichoke stew, pork-belly sliders and slow-roasted chicken is a meatloaf sandwich that’s far finer than anything Mom ever yanked from the oven… Each bite of this hedonistic stomach-stuffer is crunchy and juicy, tangy and luscious: transcendent comfort food fit for any era.
Michelin New York City Restaurants 2010/Rating: Bib Gourmand (“Favorite for good value.”) The succinct menu … boasts classic touches that reflect the kitchen’s talents and skill. Offerings may include housemade gnocchi topped with shreds of meltingly tender duck confit; golden and crisped, pan-roasted halibut drizzled with herb-flecked beurre blanc; or warm and fudgy chocolate cake …
AM New York Best of New York /Best New Brooklyn Restaurant Having already raised the level of Brooklyn dining, longtime Williamsburg resident and chef Cal Elliott … offers something for everyone, from satisfying hot sandwiches (glazed meatloaf with buttermilk onions) to Long Island duck breast with Moroccan couscous and curry butter. With prices mostly under $20, it’s just another reason for Manhattanites to trek across the river.
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Rocko
