We ducked out of the cold, wet night and into Dressler’s: just about the perfect opportunity for a restaurant that prides itself on enveloping warmth.

And envelop us it did, from cordial greeting and quick seating to graceful ser vice and good food.
The place itself radiates warmth, its earthy interior design employing stone, velvet, leather and a leaf motif. Lighting’s in alabaster and golden glass (note the shadows in the bar), and open walls have a leathery faux finish. One large dining room segues into a smaller one that can be made private; the bar’s on the other side of the entrance foyer.

This personal space may not be what you’d expect amid Birkdale Village in Huntersville (a collection of big-name stores, apartments and offices) or from a coupled with restaurant experience at the coolly corporate Morton’s.

But Jon and Kim Dressler have managed to create a simple yet idiosyncratic neighborhood place – especially interesting, considering the nature of the neighborhood. Folks show up in sparkly hot-pink tops and black leather pants (and the occasional limo); others, jeans-clad, lug in baby carriers and shrug off down jackets.

“Life has become more casual”, says Jon. “You want all types of people to be comfortable in your environment.” A well-trained staff in white shirts and ties, an omnipresent general manager John Glenn, help.

The menu, from also-ex-Morton’s chef Christ Lopez, is made for comfort, too: a few daring dishes, a few staid ones with the bulk pleasant variations on an upscale theme.

Among the daring is an appetizer of plump seared scallops and wedges of marvelously runny Brie, with a drizzle of ruby port reduction (sweet and fruity) and fig compote. Rich, and fine. But the simple French onion soup, topped with nutty Gruyere, is a winner, too. A roasted Portobello, topped with spinach leaves and crabmeat and nestled amid plenty of sundried tomato beurre blanc, also fared well. Other first plates include shrimp cocktail, a pairing of tuna tartare and seared slices of tuna, and several salads.

Dressler’s has gone the Certified Angus Beef route, and offers three such steaks on the menu – a 10-ounce filet with roasted garlic and Roquefort, a 16-ounce steak au poivre, and a 20-ounce “cowboy rib-eye” (a juicy, bone-in cut) – plus prime rib and specials periodically.
Lamb chops, four of varying thickness but all hefty, proved the best I’ve had in some time, served with roasted garlic mashed redskins and some watercress. A 2-inch-thick pork chop with peach barbecue sauce is interesting (get it medium, no less) and is accompanied by a nubbly cheddar biscuit, potatoes and, on this night, blackened green beans. Salmon, slightly overcooked, arrived atop a soft black-bean johnnycake, while crabcakes burst with crab and little else. There’s also mahi with parmesan risotto, chicken with penne, seared tuna with Thai slaw and shrimp with artichokes and a chardonnay sauce.

Dessert is the plainest category on the menu, from crème brulee to a cocoa-cola cake (nice and tender) to the recently added cheesecake that comes from Jon Dressler’s mom – who works her way through the restaurant some nights. You won’t miss her: one recent night she introduced herself to a large party, adjusting enormous tinted eyeglasses and joking easily with the group.
Jon Dressler, with a master’s degree in finance, likes to refer to himself as an accidental tourist in the restaurant business. But details like these, from Kim’s décor to mom’s cheesecake, aren’t accidental, and with this much warmth, no one’s a tourist.