Guns + Butter—Pop-Up, Brooklyn Style
Mario Bermeo Jr.
Brooklyn has done it again! In an up and coming neighborhood, a young and passionate chef brought a taste of Detroit to the Big Apple. Craig Lieckfelt, a Detroit native, returned to New York City with an idea and simple concept of nomadic dinning called Guns + Butter. Be certain that there were no guns fired in the kitchen while cooking an inspiring meal, or servers wearing cowboy attire. What there was though was a perfectly balanced dining experience, with a stringent attention to detail and a respect for the ingredients that were used. Chef Lieckfelt, who studied under one of New York City’s finest, Jean Georges, is a very humble individual with nothing but creativity and thought for the peculiarity running through his mind—this was proven that night with his controversial Boquerón Soufflé.
I am glad Chef Lieckfelt decided to bring his unique dining experience to NYC, as without him, my sister would still be a non-believer of a tasting menu, rather than a fan. My sisters’ and I share many passions, but none can be greater than our love for food. Maybe it is because we all grew up in the restaurant industry, or because our mother would cook a three or four course dinner every evening. Whatever the reason, we love, no, we adore food—but like every individual, we each have our own opinion about dining out. This is not to say we do not enjoy going to fine restaurants, merely we each have had different dining experiences that have opened our eyes to the new and provocative side of fine dining, giving us a glimpse of the new and curious side of gastronomy. My sister Andrea was never a fan of a tasting menu; she wanted to order what she wanted, share, and enjoy in that manner. All of this changed after I invited her to Guns & Butter, which to my pleasure but her slight uneasiness, featured a tasting menu.
As we approached the address, I noticed a slight sense of hesitation on my sister’s face—I guess she was not expecting to be enjoying her dinner in a diner that night. In my opinion the best and most unique aspect of a pop-up, is not the fact they are open for only a day or two, but that it gives you a chance to experience two restaurants in one night. Without Guns + Butter, I would have never found Palmer’s (the hosting restaurant), a diner which embodies a cool yet relaxing feeling of the 1930’s. Palmer’s was the perfect choice for Chef Lieckfelt and company, especially since they offer a rustic bar with an inspiring cocktail list and constantly changing wine and beer menu which fit Guns + Butter like a glove.
While we waited at the bar for the earlier seating to be completed, the sense of anticipation rose as the expressions of the diners leaving was one of smiles and joy. The counter was ready and we were escorted to our seats; since the seats were a bit uncomfortable, we opted to move to a table. In retrospect, we should have stayed at the counter for a better view of Chef Lieckfelt working his magic.
We sat down and read the night’s menu—as we waited for the first plate, my sister kept repeating the fact that it was raw fluke we were about to be served. I calmed her down by reiterating that Chef Lieckfelt knows exactly what he was doing, and to trust his judgment. Finally the first dish came; it was a Raw Fluke and avocado with fresh chili, toasted sourdough and a touch of olive oil. Looks alone changed the expression on my sister’s face and after a taste; there was complete trust that she would try anything and everything that evening. With her worries thrown out the window we were able to fully enjoy the simple yet refined artistry coming out of the kitchen.
The next dish would be the dish of controversy with our neighboring table—a Market Salad with a Boquerón Soufflé. As many food fans know, a soufflé is fully cooked and is traditionally presented in a ceramic mold protruding from the top; this one had no intention to do so. The soufflé came in a marriage between foam and a sauce decorating an elegant salad of beets, baby Yukon potatoes, radish and watercress. Instead of serving a common soufflé, the mold was figuratively broken to serve something with all the essence of a typical soufflé; a smooth sauce flavored by Boquerón’s and a cloud of seasoning symbolizing the egg whites in a soufflé—a touch of simplicity and genius all in one. The obscurity of this approach actually worried our neighboring table—maybe they didn’t see beyond the wording on the menu, or they simply didn’t get what Chef Lieckfelt accomplished.
Brooklyn has done it again! In an up and coming neighborhood, a young and passionate chef brought a taste of Detroit to the Big Apple. Craig Lieckfelt, a Detroit native, returned to New York City with an idea and simple concept of nomadic dinning called Guns + Butter. Be certain that there were no guns fired in the kitchen while cooking an inspiring meal, or servers wearing cowboy attire. What there was though was a perfectly balanced dining experience, with a stringent attention to detail and a respect for the ingredients that were used. Chef Lieckfelt, who studied under one of New York City’s finest, Jean Georges, is a very humble individual with nothing but creativity and thought for the peculiarity running through his mind—this was proven that night with his controversial Boquerón Soufflé.
I am glad Chef Lieckfelt decided to bring his unique dining experience to NYC, as without him, my sister would still be a non-believer of a tasting menu, rather than a fan. My sisters’ and I share many passions, but none can be greater than our love for food. Maybe it is because we all grew up in the restaurant industry, or because our mother would cook a three or four course dinner every evening. Whatever the reason, we love, no, we adore food—but like every individual, we each have our own opinion about dining out. This is not to say we do not enjoy going to fine restaurants, merely we each have had different dining experiences that have opened our eyes to the new and provocative side of fine dining, giving us a glimpse of the new and curious side of gastronomy. My sister Andrea was never a fan of a tasting menu; she wanted to order what she wanted, share, and enjoy in that manner. All of this changed after I invited her to Guns & Butter, which to my pleasure but her slight uneasiness, featured a tasting menu.
As we approached the address, I noticed a slight sense of hesitation on my sister’s face—I guess she was not expecting to be enjoying her dinner in a diner that night. In my opinion the best and most unique aspect of a pop-up, is not the fact they are open for only a day or two, but that it gives you a chance to experience two restaurants in one night. Without Guns + Butter, I would have never found Palmer’s (the hosting restaurant), a diner which embodies a cool yet relaxing feeling of the 1930’s. Palmer’s was the perfect choice for Chef Lieckfelt and company, especially since they offer a rustic bar with an inspiring cocktail list and constantly changing wine and beer menu which fit Guns + Butter like a glove.
While we waited at the bar for the earlier seating to be completed, the sense of anticipation rose as the expressions of the diners leaving was one of smiles and joy. The counter was ready and we were escorted to our seats; since the seats were a bit uncomfortable, we opted to move to a table. In retrospect, we should have stayed at the counter for a better view of Chef Lieckfelt working his magic.
We sat down and read the night’s menu—as we waited for the first plate, my sister kept repeating the fact that it was raw fluke we were about to be served. I calmed her down by reiterating that Chef Lieckfelt knows exactly what he was doing, and to trust his judgment. Finally the first dish came; it was a Raw Fluke and avocado with fresh chili, toasted sourdough and a touch of olive oil. Looks alone changed the expression on my sister’s face and after a taste; there was complete trust that she would try anything and everything that evening. With her worries thrown out the window we were able to fully enjoy the simple yet refined artistry coming out of the kitchen.
The next dish would be the dish of controversy with our neighboring table—a Market Salad with a Boquerón Soufflé. As many food fans know, a soufflé is fully cooked and is traditionally presented in a ceramic mold protruding from the top; this one had no intention to do so. The soufflé came in a marriage between foam and a sauce decorating an elegant salad of beets, baby Yukon potatoes, radish and watercress. Instead of serving a common soufflé, the mold was figuratively broken to serve something with all the essence of a typical soufflé; a smooth sauce flavored by Boquerón’s and a cloud of seasoning symbolizing the egg whites in a soufflé—a touch of simplicity and genius all in one. The obscurity of this approach actually worried our neighboring table—maybe they didn’t see beyond the wording on the menu, or they simply didn’t get what Chef Lieckfelt accomplished.
The third dish was once again simplicity at its best; a Smoked Mussel and Fennel dish, finished with a shellfish broth that was poured in front of us, filling the table with a pleasant aroma. You could taste the freshness of the mussels and the attention to the broth which embodied so many flavors working in perfect harmony with each other. Although we were supposed to have our fourth and last dish, Chef Lieckfelt came across a problem with his fresh Venison Raviolis. Unlike some chefs that would send someone to explain the problem and simply wait a few more minutes; he took time to not only fix the problem but make a small grapefruit market salad for us to have while we waited. He solved the problem of the ravioli, by taking the venison and making an involtini instead. The garnishes still included the spiced turnips and creamy potatoes and overall the Venison Involtini was indeed worth the wait.
We enjoyed dessert from Palmers menu, which was a homemade brownie with an amaretto cream—this alone would be a reason to visit this hip and fun diner. As we finished our dessert Chef Lieckfelt walked around talking to his diners about their experience at Guns + Butter. A humble individual who wore his Detroit Tigers tattoo proudly, he sat down to talk to us after I asked him about his idea for the Boquerón Soufflé. He mentioned a recent trip to Europe where he was inspired to make this dish—this followed with more and more stories about food and our own personal experiences. I mentioned my sister’s reaction to the meal and how a non-believer was turned that night. We had a few laughs about the Tigers and the Yankees and ended our conversation exchanging emails. As we left, we were thanked by another member of the Guns & Butter team—overall an unforgettable experience.
I had never met Chef Lieckfelt until that evening and am I glad I had the opportunity to not only taste his food, but sit down and speak about his approach and style of cooking. About a week later to my surprise I received an email from a member of Guns + Butter thanking us again for coming out that night, as well mentioning that Chef Lieckfelt enjoyed our conversation. I have kept my ear to the ground about any news from Guns + Butter awaiting their return to New York City. Last time I heard, Chef Lieckfelt was in Spain, certainly picking up a few more tricks to surprise his customers. So next time you hear the words “Guns” and “Butter” in the same phrase; do not hesitate to ask what they cook, just ask where they will be—who knows, it might just be a place you already know.
We enjoyed dessert from Palmers menu, which was a homemade brownie with an amaretto cream—this alone would be a reason to visit this hip and fun diner. As we finished our dessert Chef Lieckfelt walked around talking to his diners about their experience at Guns + Butter. A humble individual who wore his Detroit Tigers tattoo proudly, he sat down to talk to us after I asked him about his idea for the Boquerón Soufflé. He mentioned a recent trip to Europe where he was inspired to make this dish—this followed with more and more stories about food and our own personal experiences. I mentioned my sister’s reaction to the meal and how a non-believer was turned that night. We had a few laughs about the Tigers and the Yankees and ended our conversation exchanging emails. As we left, we were thanked by another member of the Guns & Butter team—overall an unforgettable experience.
I had never met Chef Lieckfelt until that evening and am I glad I had the opportunity to not only taste his food, but sit down and speak about his approach and style of cooking. About a week later to my surprise I received an email from a member of Guns + Butter thanking us again for coming out that night, as well mentioning that Chef Lieckfelt enjoyed our conversation. I have kept my ear to the ground about any news from Guns + Butter awaiting their return to New York City. Last time I heard, Chef Lieckfelt was in Spain, certainly picking up a few more tricks to surprise his customers. So next time you hear the words “Guns” and “Butter” in the same phrase; do not hesitate to ask what they cook, just ask where they will be—who knows, it might just be a place you already know.
