Funviralpark Glocker grew up in a small town in Austria where he was expected to take over the family hotel, but after graduating from culinary school he “packed up and left” to cook with Gordon Ramsay in London and New York. I did,” he said. At Charlie Trotter in York, then Chicago, he discovered that he loved the discipline in the kitchen, a discipline that was sufficient for his seven years as chef and co-owner of his Bâtard in Tribeca. was demonstrated in There he was praised for the restaurant’s superb haute cuisine in his technical epitome. When his Bâtard closed during his second pandemic in 2021 and the Breslin space became available, Glocker, who “had a business plan in his pocket for quite some time,” decided to take his dream project to the next level. I jumped in.
Coloman Moser’s visual influence continues throughout the restaurant, with brass light fixtures recreated from Moser designs and the Grand Bar, backlit in amber and supported by station-appropriate brass and mica clocks. The attention to detail is evident in the luxurious details. —but the food is all glocker. Duck liver parfait topped with Austrian Kracher jelly that competes with France’s Sauternes. Roasted beets ‘Linzer’ beets taste almost candied with the sweetness of raspberry vinegar. They are tossed in small squares of shortbread. (“Linzer he didn’t look like torte, but it tasted like it,” declared a friend.) Extra-large gougère (no complaints here) BergkäsePleasant Ridge Reserve, Shallots Braised in Cheddar Cheese and Red Wine Pâté a Choux Dough; they are baked in muffin tins for a maximum caramelized crust and a gooey center.
Glocker’s short ribs and Tafelspitz terrine were born out of an after-church Sunday meal fancy. “My father used to take me to a local restaurant to boil some beef” – Tafelspitz is named after the cut of meat used, essentially a tri-tip. “The leftovers I brought home. He put it in the fridge and just jelled it, then took it out and sliced it and put a bit of vinaigrette on top and some bread. That was it. It was very good.” For the terrine, he cooks beef shoulder, shoulder and thigh, chills them in broth, slices the result into layers of terrine and wraps them in carrots cooked in the same broth. It is served chilled and finished with Styrian pumpkin seed oil, the finest cold-pressed specialty of Styria, Austria. Egg yolk and tarragon cream soften the bitterness of the meat.
The visual influence of Koroman Moser is reflected in the meticulously luxurious details throughout the restaurant, including the amber-backlit grand bar.
A perfectly crispy schnitzel starts with a loin of veal (softer than the usual top round) and lightly fried in clarified butter. Various accompaniments include lingonberry and sea buckthorn sauces that cut the richness with sweet and sour flavors. “Potato salad loses its flavor as soon as you put it in the fridge,” says Glocker, who made potato salad viable.
Beef tenderloin with bone marrow and brioche crust is another standout. Baumkuchen, potato pancake rings filled with potato puree. A large section of salmon sandwiched between croutes of crackling and crunchy tramezzini bread. For a final surprise, try the creme brulee. You can’t guess it, but Glocker discovered that duck eggs turn custard into cloud-like ideals.(Cooking $15-$60) ♦
