Restaurants We Know You Want to Put on Your Radar: Gage & Tollner

It’s not every day authentically old restaurants in New York, forced to close by the insane task that is trying to maintain profitability, get another chance at life. However, that’s exactly what’s happening in a few weeks when Gage & Tollner reopens its doors. An 1879 original, the Brooklyn steakhouse located at 372 Fulton Street is planning to open its doors on March 15th, the first time the space has seen action since 2004. Owned and operated by partners Sohui Kim and Ben Schneider of Insa and The Good Fork along with St. John Frizell of Red Hook’s perfect cocktail bar Fort Defiance, the trio’s combined experience of running exceptional Brooklyn based hospitality businesses will be relied upon to make this massive undertaking successful. After all, the restaurant is a collaboration between experienced restaurant pros and investors passionate about preserving a piece of New York history. So, where did all those dollars go?

The Team: Sohui Kim, Ben Schneider, and St. John Frizell Photo: Jonas Fredwall Karlsson

Well there’s the caviar of course. And a raw bar with some more modern (but still pricey) items like a fluke crudo served in leche de tigre for $21. Too expensive you say? Hey, they’ve got to make back their investment somehow, and a baller destination for hip dinners is going to be priced accordingly. There’s also a dedicated bread menu that includes parker house rolls and cheese twists, so be careful not to fill up at this point because we haven’t even reached the appetizers yet.

While the building and dining room are a throwback to the Brooklyn of old, the menu is a mixture of what Brooklyn has become: a great fucking place to eat cuisine from all over the world. Clams Kimsino made kimchi and bacon and soft clam belly belly broil with miso butter represent the global nature of today’s steakhouse menus. But if you are all about the meat seasoned with a few spices and served on a plate, then we’ll cut to chase. All of the beef here is made from cows that were fed with grass, then killed, then dry aged. If you’re into that sort of thing, there’s a t-bone, a bavette cut, a bone-in ribeye, a veal chop, a pork shoulder rib roast for two, a mutton steak, and mutton chops. The full menu can be found here.

Here’s a few photos we found floating about to give you an idea of what you’re in for when considering a reservation at Gage & Tollner.

The key to a good meal is to kick things off with warm rolls. Photo: Melissa Hom

Your table might look like this when you down here. Photo: Melissa Hom

Cocktails are a must thanks to the guidance of St. John Frizell Photo: Melissa Hom

Save room for dessert if you can thanks to pastry chef Caroline Schiff Photo: Melissa Hom