Danny Brown Wine Bar & Kitchen

For a one Michelin Star place, this was not that impressive. It was good food but bigger portions than I imagined and they were out of some of the menu items, which is never a good thing.

So happy that I got a chance to dine here right before they closed down. From the service, to the food and the décor, everything was perfect in my opinion. Not to mention the crowd– there was an old couple who sat next to my friend and I and they were the sweetest folks ever! I felt like I was part of a small town when dining there, it seems like everyone knew each other and there were a few regulars as well. My friend and I ordered off the October menu and was not disappointed. It consisted of foie gras, yellow tail appetizer, and boar which had me wanting MORE. ha– get it? The little desserts in the end that they offered were divineeeeeee. I am sad they closed down but rumors has it they are opening in another location? Who knows, I hope the rumors are true!

This was the BEST restaurant in the area … and now it is gone for reasons nobody can explain.
This area of Forest Hills was called «Michelin Mile» for one reason and one reason only — Danny Brown. All of the other restaurants in the area were like barnacles tethered miserably to a glorious ship, feeding off its success and notoriety, while offering nothing comparable of their own.
I can’t figure out how the owners of this corner property couldn’t find a way to come to terms with what was likely the most successful tenant they’ve ever had, or ever will have.
One can only hope that the callous act of chasing Danny Brown away has rendered the property genuinely cursed, dooming all conceivable successors to inevitable failure. What business is going to operate in the dark, forgotten, miserable little corner that Danny Brown left behind?
It doesn’t even matter.

I used to come here regularly back in the day, ’08-’10 for dinner and good wine; was here recently for their reopening after they renovated the dining area and launched their Fall menu and wine list. Full disclosure, only came for drinks and dessert. Sat at the bar. Service was superb. Chatted with Danny’s mom. Found out Danny and I share the same birthday (Oct 1) and were born around the same time (10pm). Small world indeed.
Anywayz, will be back real soon for a proper meal and newly renovated ambiance.
Peace out

What does Danny Brown do when he learns his lease won’t be renewed? He closes down for a few days, spruces up the place, creates a brand new menu and re-​opens even better than it was before.
Its sad new that there isn’t much time left at this Forest Hills favorite, but they are going out with a bang.
We went for our anniversary and they staff made us feel special The service is top notch. The new menu is more of a tasting plates, so both courses constitute a meal.
The food is fantastic, the presentation is beautiful. Reading the new menu there are somethings that you may read and think I’m not sure about that, ignore that because it’s amazing. Starting off with the fresh baked individual baguettes with soften butter (which I suspect may be homemade) and the carrot soup amuse bouche I knew we were in for a quite a ride.
First course:
The Cold Foie Gras was the creamiest, silkiest foie gras I’ve ever had. It was decadent and served with fresh baked brioche. Just delicious.
The Quail was served with lentils and red cabbage and felt like a meal in itself. The quail was cooked perfectly; it was a wonderfully savory dish.
Second Course:
Sunchoke Agnolotti with Smoked Brussels Sprouts were little bites of heaven. I’m still dreaming about this dish.
Wild Boar Tenderloin with Apple, Rutabaga and Napa Cabbage. I’ve tried boar before and it was always too gamy for me. Not at Danny Brown’s. It was succulent and meaty and exquisite.
Dessert:
Our desserts were served with candles commemorate our anniversary which was lovely.
The chocolate cake with coffee zabaglione was dense and bursting with chocolate; it was divine. The apple tart with ice cream was pure perfection.
This was one of the best meals I have had in a long time. Try and get there before they close at the end of the year and fingers crossed they reopen somewhere new.

The Good:
–Great cheese/​jam plate.
–The duck and chicken entrees were terrific.
–Excellent service.
–Great cocktails.
–Knowledgeable waiters.
The Bad:
–Small beer selection.
*I will definitely be back!

I think this is probably the nicest restaurant in Forest Hills, too bad it will only be here for a few more months. I thought the food here was good. Good quality ingredients prepared well. Like many good restaurants, portion size wasnt exactly huge but good enough.
I had the himachi crudo, duck breast and apple tart for dessert. Everything was well made. I would come here on a date night if you for some reason was stuck in Forest Hills and didnt want to travel. Everything about the place is well done and you’ll have an enjoyable meal.

I’m not going to bore you with ramblings about the location, or the interior, this is straight up about what makes this place so special. First off, the service is outstanding, never once did we have to look around like lost sheep, everything was presented efficiently and without being intrusive. The other staff were great and friendly too, I had a little adventure while trying to use one of the restrooms, and this became an amusing joke throughout my time in the restaurant. I’m still chuckling!
Ok, to the crux of the matter, the food. We started with the meat and cheese platter, the smaller one, everything was absolutely delicious, however the cremeux de Bourgogne cheese literally blew off my socks, this was quite astounding as I wasn’t actually wearing any! This cheese is so soft and flavorful, I literally wanted to leave my girlfriend at the restaurant and take it home with me, just to be wrapped in its warm, gooey embrace! Ah, but I’m sure there are laws against such shenanigans! We then shared the duck… sorry, I drifted off into a hazy cocoon of memories, I’m not a duck man usually, but I figured if it’s a Michelin star establishment, they gonna cook the duck good! I wasn’t disappointed! What’s the difference between a duck and a goose? I don’t know, but this duck must have been laying golden eggs at some point, it was so rich in flavor and tender.
I have only one gripe, and my girlfriend nailed it, the calamari starter was a little underwhelming for us, what calamari we found hiding amongst the beans and greens was good and how grilled calamari should be, but it didn’t really represent the name of the dish which is grilled calamari. The flavor was great all round just not really enough of it.
Anyways, in conclusion, we both had a really great meal and are already planning on returning soon, looking at you chicken under a brick!

You get what you pay for.
Danny Brown’s was delicious. We were 5 people. This was what we ordered:
Cheese plate — taste of 3 — tried the special cheese of the night, valdean, and bianco sardo. They were terrific. It also came with a serving of quince.
Foie Gras — also great. They refilled our bread frequently.
Small plates — the croquettes melted in my mouth! The beet salad came with a large piece of cheese and was tasty.
Bigger plates:
The chicken was my husband’s favorite. It was crispy, tender and moist.
The steak was my favorite. We ordered it medium and it came out perfect. It was tender and moist. The frites that came with it were amazing!
The duck with apricots and mustard green was delicious with two types of sauce.
This was more than enough food for the 5 of us — 3 men and 2 women. We were checked on multiple times during our meal by the wait staff. The atmosphere was warm and intimate.

I’d give this place 3.5 stars if I could. Overall I had a very nice dinner here and didn’t have to fight my way into Manhattan to get it. They get a lot of things right, but after eating here twice for special occasions I’m still not terribly impressed.
Two nights after eating here we had dinner at a chain restaurant. It wasn’t as elegant, the food wasn’t as special (but was equally filling), and the service wasn’t quite as refined. But it had a 3 course dinner special for about $ 13 and my expectations weren’t nearly as high as they were for this well reviewed restaurant. My review stars are always relative to price and expectations, which is why the chain got four stars and I can only give 3 (or 3.5) stars here.
Cons:
I can usually get a good feel for a restaurant by the bread. If a place gets the free stuff right they can usually ace everything else. The bread here was only fair, at best. Generic, not hot, and not all that tasty — not a good start. (Hint to Staff: If you can’t make it in house, maybe send someone out to La Boulangerie over near Austin Street).
I had the steak frites as my entrée. The fries were good but not spectacular, and the steak was cooked properly but wasn’t memorable either. There are better options in Manhattan that are either much cheaper or much tastier, and often both. The flowerless chocolate cake I had for dessert was very small — there was more whipped cream than cake.
While I loved the idea of a wine flight the actual wines (I had a selection of smooth reds) weren’t unique enough to make the concept worthwhile. They might have been OK for sommelier training (they varied just a bit in dryness) but I always though the appeal of a flight was to show off some real variation.
Pros:
The meat platter we had was excellent. All three choices we had were unique and flavorful. It was the highlight of our dinner. The place is elegant, especially for the neighborhood (although I’m not sure what’s up with the shower curtain drapery around the front door). Service was solid although not quite impeccable. Although it was small, the chocolate cake was very tasty.
Both Pro and Con:
By a good measure, this is probably the best choice for a fancy meal in Forest Hills.

We came here for the pre-​fixe dinner on Tuesday night. It is available on Wednesday night as well. We came with our 1 year old son and the restaurant did not have high chairs. Luckily we bought our own. The waiters were all extremely nice about us bringing our son.
We got a half bottle of the Gewürztraminer, which was so delicious! It turned out to be two glasses each which was the perfect amount of wine that we wanted.
For the pre-​fixe, we got the carrot soup and the salad. For the main entrée, we got the skate and the paella. For dessert, we got the panna cotta. All the food was very good, especially the skate! It was one of the better fish dishes that I have had in a restaurant recently.
We used an opentable coupon with our check. I had heard some restaurants give you a hard time about it but here they gave no trouble at all.
The restaurant is a bit far from any subway stations. There is a lot of street parking around.

I had a chance to try out the only Michelin starred restaurant in Queens as well as the one closest to me. Overall I think it’s a great restaurant although being a Michelin rated restaurant definitely set the expectation quite high. I had heard the restaurant is reservation only and I made an early reservation for 5:30 on a Saturday evening on a beautiful evening.
When we arrived it was a bit early and seeing how the restaurant was empty decided to walk around and explore the neighborhood before going in. It certainly seems there are many similar more higher scale restaurant on Metropolitan ave in the area.
Anyway at first I was a bit skeptical seeing how we were still the only patrons in the restaurants but it soon becomes apparent that most people are just arriving in the 6 – 8 time frame. The service was definitely very good although toward the end I guess they were much busier and didn’t really paid as much attention as they did earlier in the night. They did clean up and actually gave me another glass of champagne when I knocked it over on the floor in my drunken state which was highlight of my night haha. I also noticed I believe the owner stops by quite a number of tables to have a chat with the patrons which does show quite a bit of hospitality.
Anyway onto the food. We pretty much got a 3 course meal plus sparking wine and rose wine to celebrate.
–Ham croquette — Seeing how a lot of people mentioned this on Unilocal definitely thought should give it a try as well. Even though the portion was a bit small the taste was quite exquisite. Its certainly worth a try but I feel for appetizers their cured meat and cold cuts might be a better choice
–Pâté de Campagne — Personally my favorite dish of the night, the way the two different types of meat are mixed makes the taste really hard to describe. But it goes so well with bread or just by itself. I personally didn’t think it didn’t need the mustard and pepper on the side as the meat itself is so flavorful already.
–Scallops Gnocchi Special — This was one of the special of the night, although I couldn’t remember the exact name of course haha the server recited it quite well however. The scallops were absolutely fresh and huge! Although maybe a bit too raw in the middle the way they cook it but I think the dish overall was pretty good although the beets and carrots on the side were kinda meh…
–Flat Iron Steak — Another Unilocal favourite and I have to agree. I think Danny does their meat much better than seafood. The steak was so juicy and tender and not a hint of being charred or burnt on the outside when we ordered it medium rare. The frites on the side was quite delicious as well. Certainly my favorite entrée of the night
–Buttermilk Vanilla Panna Cotta — I think I’m not quite as fond of their desserts compare to the entrees. I wanted to give this a try seeing how the picture shows up in Unilocal reviews quite a lot. It tasted a bit like sweeter yogurt or pudding. It’s decent although portion wise I thought could be bit more
— Espresso Crème Brûlée — A bit too sweet for my taste, but at least the portion was better as the cup is bit deeper than I originally thought. Overall though I thought we probably could have skipped desserts.
So for a Michelin rated restaurant I can certainly see why it deserves the recognization for its food. If you do give it a try I would probably hold off on desserts but I definitely would come back again to try more of their meat dishes, while we were leaving I saw other patrons ordered the burger that simply looks mouthwatering. Definitely recommend this place.

I really enjoyed my meal today, food was great, the staff was great.
There was an issue with two customers and the manager took care of it perfectly! Last time I was here I said it was good but I wouldn’t really be back, a friend gave me a gift certificate so I’m here and I’m glad he did, first time I came it was based on their Michelin Star so expectations were extremely high, little restaurant in Forest Hills getting a Michelin Star, must be unreal. But today I came with a different mind set, the food was amazing! Service was awesome. And I’m looking foward to coming back. Panna was insane! !! Retarded good! I’ve have it before but theirs is perfectly balance melt in your mouth

Wow.
Got it from the Internet.
The atmosphere is very good.
The dark lights and candles look very nice.
Table is a little bit too small.
Would come back again!

My boyfriend and I have been looking forward to Danny Brown for several months, and decided to come here for Valentine’s Day dinner. Unfortunately the price was jacked up to $ 80pp (normal prix fixe is $ 30−40pp). The service was excellent but the food was only ok, and we didn’t feel that we got a great value for the price.
From what I can discern, the menu offered on Valentine’s Day did not have dishes they typically make. We had scallops and foie gras for appetizers, lobster with gnocchi and braised short ribs for entrees, and flourless chocolate cake and vanilla panna cotta for dessert. The best parts of the meal were the melt-​in-​your-​mouth short ribs and delicious, rich chocolate cake. I was very excited for my scallops because I was expecting some plump, juicy ones lining my plate. Instead, there were 3 paper thin pieces of raw… things with a weird, tart sauce. I think the menu should describe this item better so other people don’t end up disappointed too.
I honestly expected more from a Michelin star dinner, though I would like to come back on a regular day and try the more typical items.

First of all, Congrats ‘Danny brown wine bar and kitchen” for the Michelin star. I visited this restaurant with my friend on feb 18. we just walked-​in and found the place really welcoming. We ordered the 3-​course-​pre-​fixe dinner and a glass of chardonnay each. The overall service was great though the space between tables are really congested. But, the food is really interesting and tasty. Choucroute Garnie and Tuscan bean soup was outstanding and so was mascarpone cheesecake. I would definitely visit again and recommend my friends as well.
Things for consideration:
#we ordered two glasses of chardonnay and the waiter brought us already poured glasses of wine. It would be more productive in service if the waiter brings a bottle and pour wine in front of the customers.
# As we ordered pre-​fixe menu, we would definitely want to know the ingredients of the recipes when brought to the table. The fact being the customer though has seen the menu and its description, it would be more informational for the customers for the waiter or runner to describe the ingredients of the recipes.
Thank you Danny Brown wine bar and kitchen for the great experience. !!

One of my favorite places to go to in Queens for a little bit of a splurge. Been here twice and haven’t had a bad experience yet. Both times we came here, we ordered the meat & cheese board and the wine flights. The wine menu is pretty extensive (as it should. it’s a wine bar!) and the sommelier was very helpful and knowledgeable. The food menu is a bit small, but the choices that they have are fantastic. Out of everything I have tried, the only thing I didn’t like that much was the rum raisin carrot cake. It wasn’t moist enough. Stick with the flourless chocolate cake which was more like chocolate mousse.
On Tuesdays & Wednesdays, they have a 3 course pre-​fixe for $ 30 which is a fantastic price for the kind of meal you are getting. Also, not everyone at your table needs to do pre-​fixe. Definitely make reservations ahead of time because it gets packed.

I loved it! I could’ve spent the entire meal eating just the croquettes and it would’ve validated its Michelin star. The chicken under a brick is crispy and juicy in all the right places. The steak has these bits of sea salt on it that enhances the flavor of the beef so synergistically that you won’t know what hit you. I rarely use words like synergy other than in a mocking way. But I am genuinely impressed.
The light and moussey flourless chocolate cake was probably one of the best desserts I’ve had. It came with crème fraîche floating atop crispy salted nuts. The different flavors and textures on that one dessert plate will come together for the common goal of pleasing your mouth.
It was a very satisfying meal. the kind that you feel is actually worthy of its seemingly inflated prices. It’s the kind of food that a lot of other restaurants only pretend to cook but still charge the same amount for. Danny Brown is making them look pretty bad right now.

My original dinner plans fell through, but my friends planned a last minute birthday surprise here for me and I was excited to try the only Michelin-​starred restaurant in Queens. Service was top-​notched. They had a great wine selection by the bottle and for a very reasonable price. We also had a wine specialist come over to help us choose the perfect bottle.
I really enjoyed their Serrano Ham Croquettes starters and the Roasted Skate was absolutely one of the best fish dishes I had in a while. The corn purée and the saffron-​tomato vinaigrette were great complements with the skate. However, I did find the Organic Chicken under A Brick and the Confit Of Hudson Valley Moulard Duck to be a bit on the dryer side. Lastly, we all split a Buttermilk Vanilla Panna Cotta and it was amazing!
FYI: On Unilocal,they say Danny Brown is closed at 9:30pm on weekdays, but they stayed open after hours if you’re already there so no need to rush through the dinner. Since I had a surprise guest join us for dinner, we spent almost 4 hours at Danny Brown catching up. I had a great time!

While Queens may not be known best for its fine dining options, Danny Brown Wine Bar & Kitchen is quite the anomaly as the borough’s only Michelin-​starred restaurant. The restaurant takes its name from the executive chef, whose experiences started in New York, then a myriad of professional kitchens across Europe (L’esguard in Spain, Michel Rostang in Paris, and Osteria Francescana in Italy), and eventually his namesake restaurant in Forest Hills. Since 2006, it’s served up a variety of European-​inspired plates, a nod to the cuisines that Chef Brown grew familiar with during his years abroad.
As many will note, it’s difficult to arrive to Danny Brown without a car; it’s a substantial walk from the Forest Hills station, so plan accordingly. The interior is smaller than one would first assume, and the pared down décor against pale, modestly-​decorated walls bears striking resemblance to a French bistro. Our hostess confirmed our reservation and led us to a table in the foremost dining room, but tables further in will have a clear view of the chefs at work in the open kitchen. A quick skim of the menu, and we were ready to order in a few minutes.
I started off with the Serrano Ham Croquettes, which consisted of four croquettes curiously plated in one corner of the square plate. The croquettes were commendably executed; a crisp, well-​seasoned exterior was a perfect foil to the piping hot, creamy interior. The pairing with a Saffron Aïoli was a smart choice, pairing a light sweetness and edge to each bite. The bite of the Handmade Potato Gnocchi I had was also exemplary; pillowy, toothsome, and highlighted by the accompanying asparagus and fava beans.
To follow, I opted for the pedestrian Organic Chicken. The dish pays homage to the rustic origins of the roast chicken; the half chicken is carefully roasted under a foil-​wrapped brick, a technique that simultaneously imparts a crispy skin, but a tender interior. With a side of skillet potatoes dusted with rosemary and sautéed escarole and a final ladle of jus, it becomes a well-​balanced, elegant plate. The Confit of Duck is just as good, if not better; the pairing with sliced red pears only brings out the hint of sweetness in the protien. Dinner is not complete without dessert, and the choice of the Buttermilk Vanilla Panna Cotta is a pleasing finish; with a slightly tart Rhubarb Compote, it’s a light and seasonally appropriate end to the meal.
Danny Brown Wine Bar and Kitchen is, more than anything, a neighborhood spot. It doesn’t overpromise on what it says it will deliver: «traditional European cuisines with new cooking ideas in a warm, comfortable atmosphere». For those able to make the journey and wile away several hours, it’s a dining experience that’s sure to please.