The Cresheim's newest owner, Donna Fitzgerald Robb, says she realized this obstacle only after signing the purchase papers. But that hasn't stopped her from toiling over the last three years to steadily right its reputation, sprucing up its classic dining rooms, lowering entree prices to the $20 range, and juicing the menu with some bright New American ideas and a focus on local, organic ingredients.
Robb also happens to come to the Cottage from a place at the opposite end of the aura spectrum. Both she and Cresheim sous-chef Joan Gigliotti helped run the kitchen for several years at Judy's Cafe, the much beloved (and now closed) Queen Village institution that set a Restaurant Renaissance standard for updated comfort foods and staunch neighborhood loyalty.
One gets a sense of that mission at Cresheim, too, in the little-kids-eat-free weekday nights (Tuesday through Thursday), and in the monthly fund-raisers for various gay and lesbian organizations.
You can also find some vestiges of the Judy's culinary comfort canon on Cresheim's menu: a strong focus on salads, a regular meatloaf twist. But it's clear that Robb, also a veteran of Sam's Morning Glory Diner and Penne, has grown since her Judy's days and worked to modernize and broaden her eclectic palette, from ancho wing rubs to African tea marinades.
If only the kitchen's finishing touch were more careful, a meal at the Cottage would at last be a sure bet. My experiences, though, were frustratingly inconsistent.
The Cresheim first caught my eye with an impressive lunch. No, I didn't love the fact that I was seated as the only diner in the empty back room while the main room next door bustled with a lively crowd and the crackle of the fireplace. And it's true, the service was sporadic and stern.
