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Tuesday, May 29, 2012

Peachy Picks Dewey's Flatiron Our Coverage Sponsored by Stribling and Associates

Executive Chef Gilbert Belfor

For over 30 years, Stribling and Associates has represented high-end residential real estate, specializing in the sale and rental of townhouses, condos, co-ops, and lofts throughout Manhattan and Brooklyn, and around the globe. Stribling has more than 200 professional brokers who use their respected expertise to provide personalized service to buyers and sellers at all price levels. A separate division, Stribling Private Brokerage, discreetly markets properties over $5 million, and commands a significant market share in this rarified sector of residential real estate. Stribling is the exclusive New York City affiliate of Savills, a leading global real estate advisor with over 200 office in 48 countries. 

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It's not who you know, it's Whom You Know and now we know Executive Chef Gilbert Belfor, a 11-year veteran of Dewey's Flatiron! We were thrilled to celebrate Memorial Day with such a patriotic, historic place. As you should know, Admiral Dewey is a historic icon and their site tells us:
On April 24th 1898 war is declared between the United States and Spain and o
n April 30th, 1898 Commander Dewey and his squadron forced the entrance to Manilla Bay. The Spanish fleet was attacked and destroyed off Cavite. 
On March 1899 Dewey is appointed Admiral of the Navy by President McKinley. 
On January 16th, 1917, Admiral Dewey died at his home on K Street in Washington, D.C. He lies in the Arlington National Cemetery, having served his country well. The building was built near the turn of the previous century and has been meticulously restored to reflect that bygone era. The decor features a 20ft high brick vaulted ceilings and two hand-painted sepia tone historical murals of the historic Battle of Manilla Bay stand upwards of 15ft high. Atop the back bar sits an antique 1916 brass cash register and a replica of Deweys Arch. At one time the arch stood on 24th Street and 5th Ave, commemorating Admiral Dewey's victory over the Spanish Fleet in the Spanish American War.
Dewey's Flatiron was first featured in Tasty Tidbits:
and we are pleased to announce it has graduated to Peachy's Picks! Its welcoming atmosphere, solid cuisine by a Chef with genuine enthusiasm and patriotic nature have won us over!  Owner Ed Dobres was gracious to speak to via phone but we did not have a chance to meet him yet.  You can see him on video on their website, which we commend.  More owners should take this kind of pride in their establishment.  Opened since 1996, Dewey's Flatiron is a place you should know about!  Peachy sipped on a Santa Rita Cabernet Sauvignon to start with which was full and crisp and an above-average wine selection for a bar.
Gilbert is a total peach and was on the ball all evening, and demonstrated genuine care and enthusiasm in his vocation.  Clearly this is a bar that is serious about its food or he wouldn't be there for 11 years straight and counting.  He says his favorite salad is the Fried Chicken Salad and Peachy Deegan agrees.  Lightly breaded chicken cutlet, bacon, avocado, tomato and onion over a bed of mixed greens are a delightful way to start your Dewey's experience.  And, the ranch dressing is so flavorful!  You also should know this bar is clean.  Some restaurant/bars do not meet our standards but this one does.  The music is upbeat and friendly with no hint of obnoxious that is commonly found at lesser bars.  The service was not only incredibly cordial but it demonstrated clear alacrity. You will not be kept waiting long!  Coco is a pleasant waitress as well.
You know pizza is one of the four food groups, and great pizza is not commonly found at bars.  But as we've told you you're not at a common bar, you're at Dewey's Flatiron where the pizza is amazing!  By the way you should also know that Brandon Jacobs is Gilbert's favorite Giant (see hat) and our pal Regis would probably agree.  Peachy prefers the BC alums on the team...
Above you see the Grand Supreme.  Piled high with Italian sausage, pepperoni, crushed tomatoes and onion, this is the pizza to order.  Its thin crust is crispy and holds up the ingredients perfectly, which are fresh!
The beer list is commendable and Peachy next sipped on a Magner's.  You know she is Irish.
Steak Frites is a strong choice at Dewey's and we really loved the way the steak was seasoned.  Grilled Hanger steak with a dollop of herbed butter was grilled perfectly at medium as ordered.  The French Fries were crunchy and the presentation is beautiful as you see.
As far as dessert goes, the strawberry shortcake at Deweys' is to-die-for and is so new it's not yet on the menu.  This was the grand finale and the best part!  You need this dessert.
Our esteemed panelist says:
Located right next to Madison Square Park, Dewey's Flat Iron Bar and Restaurant is the place to go this summer! On a hot summer day, what's better than getting a nice cold drink in a great, comfortable atmosphere? I started off my visit to Dewey's with a Hoegaarden beer which couldn't have been better! It was cold and refreshing, and was one of their many beers on tap. I also tried a Goose Island which again, was excellent because it was served perfectly! We had the opportunity to meet the executive chef named Gilbert, who clearly took a lot of pride in his work. He was so excited to have us try many of the different dishes he has on his menu, and his passion came through in his dishes. 
I started off with the Blackened Chicken Salad, which had spicy grilled chicken, corn, artichokes, fresh mozzarella, cherry tomatoes, olives and balsamic vinaigrette. Whenever I try a new, delicious salad I try to recreate it at home soon afterward. I will definitely be doing that with this salad! The combination was unlike any other salad I've had before and was truly excellent. We had the opportunity to try the grand supreme pizza as well which was a thin crust pizza with sausage, pepperoni, crushed tomato and onion on top. This is the perfect pizza to snack on while at the bar when you just need to snack on something. It was a nice, light pizza that would be perfect to eat individually, but also shared with another person if you're not feeling terribly hungry. For my entree I tried the Turkey Avocado BLT which is a sandwich I've had before, but not the way that Gilbert made it! 
This version had honey as one of the ingredients, which I think is genius! It gave the sandwich a slight sweetness which was such a refreshing change! What an innovative addition to this popular sandwich. The sandwich was also served with fries on the side, which were also to die for! For a very special dessert, we had the opportunity to try one of Gilbert's new menu items, the Strawberry Shortcake, which was fresh strawberries, whipped cream, yellow cake and drizzled chocolate sauce. This dessert was so refreshing after a hot, humid day and really hit the spot! It was so light and fresh, it was perfect treat to have going into summer and I can't wait to eat it again! Dewey's Flat Iron is the perfect, casual spot not only for great drinks with friends, but also for their food as well! With such a passionate, dedicated staff, it makes the restaurant so pleasant and enjoyable to leisure at and enjoy yourself. I expect to be back many times this summer with friends! 

Peachy Picks Dewey's Flatiron!
Dewey's Flatiron is Highly Recommended by Whom You Know.

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