Rider, Brooklyn

I don’t get over to Williamsburg as much as I used to, so when I do, I almost always go someplace I haven’t tried before. In this case we were going to a show and wanted a quick but delicious meal beforehand. Rider, the restaurant that adjoins the National Sawdust concert hall, fit the bill: it’s a casual but chic seasonal restaurant by chef Patrick Connolly, who won a James Beard award in Chicago before decamping to NYC.

Downstairs Dining Room, Rider, Brooklyn

Rider is also listed in the Michelin guide as a Bib Gourmand winner, which you should definitely heed if you want Michelin guide-quality food without the hefty tab. It’s like the Michelin Awards for people who never order shaved truffle over anything, ever.

Bar, Rider, Brooklyn

They have excellent cocktails at Rider with clever names like “Upgraded to Middle Class” and “Yuz-a Bad Hombre.” My favorite, for a variety of reasons, was the “Foul-Mouthed Grandma” ($14), a sweet, sour and smoky mix of mezcal, drambuie, lavender bitters and a touch of absinthe. This would be a good date place where you could easily slide from cocktails into dinner.

Smoked Ricotta with Meyer Lemon and Grilled Bread, Rider, Brooklyn

Some variety of charred bread and ricotta seems to be on nearly every restaurant menu now, but I’m not complaining. At Rider the ricotta has a smoky undercurrent and gets topped with a sort of meyer lemon marmalade – just the right counterbalance to the char. I may even try charring this at home.

Pizza with Mortadella, Fontina and Nasturtium Pesto, Rider, Brooklyn

I don’t know if pizza is a new addition to the menu, which changes seasonally. The toppings are excellent – in this case a funky mix of fontina, mortadella, nasturtium pesto and fennel pollen in the “Hello, Nasty” pizza ($12) – but the crust could use some more crunch. (Side note: is pollen the new smoke?)

Broccoli Raab, Rider, Brooklyn

Not sure why no one realized until now that almost everything is better with pork laab on it, but it is. Witness the “Broccoli Raab” with pork laab, fish sauce and spicy peanut garlic, a masterful mix of Thai and an NYC green market standard.

Fried Chicken, Rider, Brooklyn

This fried chicken was all over the place in a good way. Southern or Korean or even a little bit Indian? You don’t even have to decide. Just eat the pickled vegetables and dip the chicken in the creamy herbal dressing.

Upstairs Dining Room, Rider, Brooklyn

The bilevel space is industrial cool, with a very relaxed vibe but attentive service. We weren’t rushed but we still got out in plenty of time to get to the show. Rider is convenient not just to National Sawdust but Brooklyn Bowl, the Music Hall of Williamsburg and any number of concert halls and clubs that have opened here. But the kids going to concerts aren’t the only kids in Williamsburg anymore, so it’s worth noting that Rider is friendly to the many actual kids in the neighborhood now too, especially in the early evening hours and on the weekends. Patrick Connolly is not just a chef but a Williamsburg dad himself.

So before you say “there goes the neighborhood,” be glad it’s a draw for James Beard award-winning chefs like him.

Rider
80 N 6th Street, between Wythe and Kent Avenues
Williamsburg, Brooklyn
347-452-4905
riderbklyn.com