Very successful. You’ve turned me on to several great meals. Keep it up!
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I appreciate that feedback; I always share what I do hoping to guide other people to have great experiences. It is a unique kind of pleasure in life to know you have helped other people enjoy something wonderful in the world =)
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Great review.
Our “job” is not to review a reviewer but I totally appreciate the recent reviews you have done.
I have to say my Dud. Mark. impression was different though. What we has - not too much IIRC - was both very well cooked AND delish.
Especially the squid ink chitarra, asparagus/kale and special soft shell crab (pictured below). Can’t wait to go back. Bartender, as you say, was great. The only good thing I can say about the location and parking is it justifies round trip uber 'cause beach parking is so costly.
Soft Shell Crab (doesn’t look like much, but it was fantastic).
Asparagus/Kale
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imho, the HIGHEST form of cooking is knowing how to have the ingredients “speak for themselves” in the way that they do at dudley market.
it is much more difficult to do this than it is to make a jumble of strong flavors using a lot of fat to bind the whole thing together.
to me, Jesse Barber is a master of culinary finesse, which is something i truly appreciate and something that i see so rarely.
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Agree, that was my impression too.
Yet you guys never felt moved to write about his food?
IMHO getting the ingredients right and properly cooking with them is a level above just getting the right ingredients.
Counterpoint to me is Hatchet Hall. Every ingredient on the plate is extraordinarily sourced and has just the right technique applied to it or it is left untouched.
When I say the cooking isn’t as good as the sourcing at Dudley I am thinking of the failure to crisp skin on a rabbit loin or making a confit leg of rabbit inedibly dry or the texture of risotto being just a bit off or shortcake in dessert being dry etc… All of these little missteps make it seem like the chef is better at finding great ingredients than at cooking them. I don’t see any similar missteps at other places I respect more/enjoy more.
But maybe that is just personal preference. I like my rabbit juicy and succulent for example and maybe others prefer it more dry. I do not make an attempt to insult different tastes.
I also did not really say Dudley is a bad place. But I don’t feel it is destination worthy.
This post is not argumentative but just trying to provide more details about what I meant when I said the sourcing seems to exceed the cooking at Dudley.
It can still be immensely enjoyable though. The best plate may have been the asparagus, broccolini, mushrooms, cheese and mustard precisely because it was so simple and brilliant in the sourcing and had almost no cooking involved. It seems Barber should focus on his minimalism even more intensely imo.
What do you guys like to eat there most? How often do you go? You are both neighborhood folks right? Exactly the type of people I said would be happy to hit up Dudley semi regularly. 
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Went for friend’s birthday lunch, 2 couples, in late May. Chicken liver mousse, lodge bread, potato kale and egg white thing, blueberry pancakes, bacon, crab sandwich and soft shell crab omelette. I had the soft shell crab omelette and won lunch. I was the only one really happy. All the rest, good but no big deal. I’ll go back, because it’s great to walk to from tennis courts or just to mosey along the boardwalk and drop into. Great for vegetarian or pescetarian meal with interesting wine. I’m somewhere between @westsidegal, @ciaobob and @aesthete on this one. Enjoyable, not memorable for me.
Went once
Only tried 3 dishes
I am not a neighborhood person.
I would say we are in agreement then. I think it is good but not memorable as well. I also think if you are a local that is wandering by then it’s a great spot.
What were the dishes? Could you describe the genius you saw in them?
Did I say genius? Typically I reserve that word for other professions:no_mouth:
I don’t think listing ingredients (if i recalled them), or even showing images (if I had any more) would do the food any more justice than @westsidegal did; I think she wrote exactly what my girl said while we were eating there: that this chef knows how to balance flavors that enhance rather than compete.
Well, ok, “master of culinary finesse”. It sounds close to “genius” and I was just using shorthand, sorry.
I would still be interesting in reading other’s descriptions of how this culinary finesse played out in various dishes they had at Dudley.
What a well written review, thank you!
Sad to say, Jesse Barber is stepping away from Dudley at the end of this week.
Got email from Dudley this morning to that effect.
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pardon me, while a take a moment to cry
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[quote=“PorkyBelly, post:18, topic:3757”]
Saw this bathroom in new orleans. They must get a lot of chickens. there was another door for cats…
[/quote]LOL. In researching NOLA I came across this. I’ll say it again… I adore you.
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has anyone been since Berber left ?