The recently opened Federal Bar invited me to come sample their menu on their just opened terrace. My friend and I decided to walk there from Manhattan across the Williamsburg Bridge, a perfect activity before taste-testing a menu!

Although the bar offers many craft beer options, we instead indulged in their cocktails. I highly recommend the BBL, their spicy version of a caipirinha made with cachaça, lime and Mike’s hot honey ($12).

We sampled a few sharable bar bites. The rumaki — three maple-glazed crispy duck livers ($11) atop bacon and mini waffles — were served in a decorative cast-iron skillet sprinkled with a pineapple cilantro chutney. Five deep-fried panko-coated slow-braised pork rillettes ($11) came on a slate plate with housemade, paper-thin bread & butter pickles, Brooklyn brown beef mustard and a side of undressed frisee.

I was looking forward the grilled salad, as I’ve often grilled romaine, never radicchio. The warm red chicory arrived along side a chilled chopped dressed salad (endive, frisee, fresh mint, romaine, fennel) with parmesan and candied pecans. It all begged for seasoning. But we forgot to ask our friendly server for some salt & pepper when she came upstairs to the just opened concrete terrace above the restaurant bringing us the next not-to-be-missed dish. Chef Brendon Doyle’s roasted cauliflower glazed in Momofuku’s fermented hozon, with charred collard greens and farro ($17) is an unusually flavorful and filling vegan dish.

The newest menu item needs better handling of — or a different — fish. The mildly flavored northern Brazilian biaha stew of fresh cilantro garnished fennel, red peppers, tomatoes, chilies, onions and rice in an annatto-colored coconut milk came topped with rubbery monkfish.

We sampled the only dessert they offered, bread pudding made with Greenpoint donuts and housemade strawberry jam.

I wouldn’t suggest walking the bridge for a meal here, but would suggest stopping in if you’re in the neighborhood.

– bonnie

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The Federal Bar
367 Metropolitan Avenue
Williamsburg, Brooklyn
347-529-6696
thefederalbar.com
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