Reviews

---

Featured in Berks County Living – October 2006
By Lenora Dannelke – Photos by Heidi Reuter

Welcome to the Next Level
Dans Restaurant
Raises the Bar for Fine Dining in Reading

My personal restaurant rating system – which will never replace the Michelin Guide – is pretty simple. It depends on how many friends I feel compelled to call after trying a new dining spot. The morning after an initial visit to Dans Restaurant, I couldn’t wait to start dialing and raving, encouraging fellow gastronomes to drive up to an hour and a half to visit this Reading dining treasure. It’s that good!

Anyone with an affinity for impeccable, sophisticated cuisine – think truffles, foie gras and caviar – should become acquainted with this tiny gem of a restaurant, which offers plenty of options. In addition to the seasonally-driven a la carte menu that features choice steaks, premium seafood and top-quality poultry, fun and adventurous four- and five-course tasting menus are available, and brunch is served both Saturday and Sunday.

Under its previous ownership, when an actual Dan or two was in residence, the center city 40- seat walk-down had earned a considerable reputation. Partners William “Bill” Woolworth III and MD. Monir, who re-opened Dans on Valentine’s Day 2006, were ready to not only match, but exceed past expectations. They also plan to eventually expand into the upper portion of the building.

The first thing the partners did was lighten, brighten and simplify the décor. “Less is more,” Woolworth notes.

Crisp white linens dress the tables, and elegant floral arrangements grace the windows. “I’m the floral designer – that’s my eight part-time job,” jokes Woolworth, an attorney for a Baltimore brokerage firm who also teaches part-time.

Monir, who worked at such notable New York restaurants as Jean George and The Monkey Bar,
ensures that table service is flawless.

Ultimately, though, it’s all about the food. And executive chef Jason Hook, an energetic 28-year-old with impressive credentials, has an extraordinary talent for marrying flavors and highlighting natural tastes. His elegant and unfussy presentation style really showcases the outstanding ingredients.

A graduate of Wilson High School and the Northampton Community College culinary program,
Hook found his passion for French cuisine working at Le Bec Fin in Philadelphia. He was soon recruited by The Four Seasons in New York, then sent to France to hone his skills.

Returning to New York, Hook was employed by French culinary superstar Alain Ducasse.

“That was the best thing I ever did,” he says. “It was a pinnacle experience. I’m inspired by
his techniques.” Hook then moved on to restaurant Jean George, another top venue that
strongly influenced the young chef.

After relocating to his native area last year, Hook considered commuting to Philadelphia before connecting with Woolworth and Monir. “Dans is perfect for me. I have an opportunity to do whatever I want, food-wise, using quality ingredients,” Hook says. “I don’t have to hold back because it’s Berks County.”

Even bowing to requests for a traditional item like the crab cake doesn’t mean stooping to the ordinary: Hook re-envisions this humble dish as a delicate crab galette with remoulade sauce. “Last week we sold more foie gras than crab cakes, so people are responding well,” says Hook. “The message we’re trying to get across is that you don’t have to go to The Main Line for fine food.”

Indeed, the cuisine stands up to the most vaunted comparisons. Dr. Stan and Johanna Grabius, frequent patrons of Dans, liken the quality of Hook’s food to that of Le Bec Fin. “But it’s not nearly as expensive,” Stan says. “I hand out prescriptions for people to eat here!”

Hook’s masterful treatment of foie gras reset my standards for excellence – a benchmark that had previously been attained by Wolfgang Puck’s new restaurant at The Borgata in Atlantic City. At Dans, a tender, sautéed slice of Hudson Valley foie gras, sets atop toasted brioche with black cherry marmalade and is garnished with salted pistachios for an amazing amalgam of flavors and textures. Savory and sweet, salty, crunchy and silky, this obscenely rich poultry liver appetizer played my palate like a pinball game, lighting up every taste bud in my mouth.

And every other dish I sampled proved equally exquisite, from creamy cauliflower soup complemented with country bread croutons and crisp-tender baby asparagus to perfectly panseared filet mignon served with cippollini onions, teensy fingerling potatoes and a remarkable ginger-caramel emulsion.

“We spend as much on produce as we do on protein,” says Woolworth. “And that’s pretty unusual.” The investment, however, is incredibly worthwhile. Hook takes his inspiration from seasonal fare, and vine-ripened heirloom tomatoes, paired with green basil, fresh mozzarella, imported prosciutto and extra-virgin olive oil, create an explosively flavorful spin on the classic BLT.

Look for tasty twists on squash, beets and other root vegetables in fall. When imported black truffles arrive in November – white truffles follow in January – they will be receive VIP (Very Important Produce) treatment by Hook.

Through early autumn, paper-thin wafers of more-than-adequate domestic Oregon truffles finish the sautéed filet of tilapia, presented on a bed of soft polenta with a delicate tomato sauce. Golden chanterelles and little crisps of smoked bacon add a robust note that highlights the taste of the firm fish without overwhelming it. (My mouth waters just thinking about this memorable and compelling combination.)

Another dish that will linger lovingly in my gastronomic memory is the lemon risotto with rock shrimp. The bright and lively punch of the sumptuous rice is an exemplary foil for the toothsome shrimp, which rivals its crustacean cousin, lobster, in taste and texture.

Dessert, I feared, would be total overindulgence. However, a football-shaped “quenelle” of premise-made vanilla bean ice cream, placed over fat, ripe raspberries – and adorned with refreshing sprigs of mint – is a light and invigorating conclusion to dinner. I would trust Hook to concoct a fitting finish to dinner in any season.

Of course, appropriate wines enhance any meal, and the staff at Dans will recommend suitable pairings by the bottle or glass. The New Zealand Nobilo sauvignon blance I sampled is one of my new favorite. It’s also worth noting that this is one of the few restaurants to offer champagne by the glass.

Hook, Woolworth and Monir review wine selections regularly to ensure that the beverages pair optimally with the evolving menu. For an ultimate wine and-food pairing experience, reserve a table for the next nine-course wine tasting dinner. Your mouth, your stomach and your friends will all thank.