In The News

By Leigh Pressley
Photos by Richard Rudisill
Lake Norman Magazine
February 2004

Take the Philadelphia-bred son of parents who grew up in the Bronx; blend in the D.C.-raised daughter of traditional Southern cooks; simmer in a fancy steak house for more than a decade and serve at Lake Norman.

That will give you Dressler’s, an upscale contemporary American restaurant shaped by an unusual mix of backgrounds, culinary inspirations and experience in the restaurant industry.

Opened in September at Birkdale Village in Huntersville, Dressler’s is owned by husband-wife team Jon and Kim Dressler. Both started in restaurants as teenagers; he worked his way up from busboy, dishwasher and waiter to general manager of Morton’s of Chicago in Charlotte, while she climbed from fast food to First Union’s event planning team.

For years, the couple discussed opening their own restaurant.

“We looked at Concord Mills, Birkdale Village and Hearst Tower downtown,” Jon says. “But we really wanted a neighborhood restaurant. We’ve lived here for about five years and we love this area. We felt there was a lot of room and potential for our caliber of restaurant.”

Guests receive friendly greetings upon entering the restaurant overlooking Birkdale’s center fountain. Without a reservation on a holiday-season Saturday night, hostesses oblige with a table in less than an hour.

In the bar to the left of the foyer, a small crowd sips drinks and gathers to watch a college basketball game on a plasma television. The main dining room, with long banquettes and tables set close to one another in an intimate, urban style, is to the right.

A stone water feature, warm wood, rich fabrics, a leaf motif and hues of sage green, gold and burgundy give Dressler’s a natural feel.

“We were looking for something very warm and very cozy,” says Kim, who handled the interiors. “We wanted everyone to feel comfortable, whether it was a big night out or they were coming in with the baby.”

Jon Dressler and general manager John Glenn are key players in making patrons feel welcome and appreciated. Far from hands-off figureheads, they show guests to the table and often take on other duties, such as opening wine, delivering food and following up to make sure everything is right.

“My philosophy of running a restaurant is simple,” Jon says. “Take care of guests, have fun and make money, in that order. If you do the first two, the third takes care of itself.”

The food at Dressler’s also speaks for itself. Despite 13 years combined experience with Morton’s, the granddaddy of upscale steak house chains, the couple doesn’t consider Dressler’s a steak house.

“We’re not a steak house, although three of our 11 entrees are cuts of beef,” Jon says. “Morton’s was a very structured corporate environment, and we had to live within those constraints. Here we can do what we want to do with the food. We can be more relaxed.”

The freedom to create a unique menu and experiment with ingredients, flavors and combinations drew chef Chris Lopez, another Morton’s transplant.

“He’s a foodie,” Jon says. “He loves to make food and to try different things.”

Together, the team has come up with nine appetizers, ranging from the standard Shrimp Cocktail ($10) to the popular Scallops and Brie ($10).

“The scallops are sautéed with a quarter of brie, which is heated in the oven,” Jon says. “It’s topped with a ruby port splash and fig compote. It’s really good.”

The Low Country Crab Dip ($11), made with jumbo lump crab warmed with a rich blend of parmesan and Monterey jack cheeses and served with a cream-based bechamel sauce, is another crowd favorite.

Jon’s personal weakness is French Onion Soup ($5), which gets a twist from its topping of melted Gruyere.

Four large salads are available, including the Classic, with romaine ($4), Greek ($5) and Fresh Mozzarella & Tomato ($5). Most often requested is G’s House ($5), which blends textures and flavors with mesclun greens, caramelized onions, red apples, sugared walnuts, goat cheese and Dressler’s own balsamic vinaigrette. The G comes from Jon’s nickname for Kim, whose maiden name was Geoghegan.

Among entrees, there are five seafood dishes, three steaks, lamb, pork and a chicken with pasta dish. All are served with an accompaniment such as roasted garlic mashed potatoes, sesame rice cake, linguine or risotto.

Sauteed Spinach or Asparagus, Red Wine Mushrooms, spicy Pan Blackened Green Beans and Jed’s Hand Made O’Rings ($5 each) may be ordered as sides made to share.

“You’re not going to go home hungry,” Jon says.

Herb Grilled Mahi ($21), dipped in light Japanese bread crumbs, broiled, finished in the oven and served with parmesan risotto and herb-infused seafood jus is the top seller. “The combination of flavors is just spectacular,” he says.

Sashimi-grade seared Tuna ($19), the highest quality available, is broiled, brushed with a ginger glaze and served on a sesame rice cake with warm Thai peanut slaw.

Kim’s favorite and a surprising big seller is Rack of Lamb ($25), pan seared and crusted with whole-grain mustard.

“It’s Australian cut with four chops to it, and it’s so tender,” she says. “It’s just wonderful served with garlic mashed potatoes.”

The unexpected also shows up on more traditional menu items, but knowledgeable servers share pointers. For example, milder palates may prefer the pepper-crusted New York au Poivre ($27) with a cognac sauce to the powerful flavor of Roquefort-topped Filet al Forno ($26).

For dessert, there’s Crème Brulee, Bananas Foster and Apple Crisp (all $6). Both Jon and Kim also have childhood favorites on the menu — he with Mom’s Cheesecake ($6) made by his mother, Joan Dressler, a Bronx native, and she with Cocoa-Cola Cake ($6), an updated version of a Southern Living magazine recipe made with Coca-Cola.

“That was my brother’s birthday cake every year when we were growing up,” she says. “It’s an old-fashioned chocolate cake from a recipe my mom and grandmother used. There are so many people here from the North, but those from the South have definitely heard about this cake.”

Dressler’s

Address: Birkdale Village, Huntersville.
Contacts: (704) 987-1779, www.dresslersrestaurant.com.
Hours: 5 -10 p.m. Monday-Saturday, 5-9 p.m. Sunday.
Prices: $5 to $11 appetizers, $4 to $5 salads, $15 to $28 entrees, $5 sides, $6 desserts.
Seating: 125, including an area for private parties of up to 45; seasonal patio seating for 32; 34 in bar area.
Special events: Quarterly wine dinners beginning this month.