The holy trinity

Good things often come in threes. This maxim can be applied to a few things in relation to Block Butcher Bar, which shares the same owners (Clay Nutting and Michael Hargis) and chef (Michael Tuohy, formerly of Grange Restaurant & Bar) as LowBrau. Block is one of three restaurants in the city that opened last year that serve primarily charcuterie and fine cheeses (The Rind and The Cultured & The Cured are the other two). Block specializes in the holy trinity of European cuisine: meat, cheese and alcoholic beverages. And most of its boards and plates are balanced using three basic tastes: salty (meats and cheeses), sweet (honey and jam) and sour (pickles and vinegar).

While its neighbor LowBrau’s menu feels relatively American with its fancy hot dogs and fries, Block Butcher Bar exudes a European flair with its fine meats and cheeses. It’s also darker, more ambient and has a takeout counter and deli in the front of the restaurant, which gives it a somewhat casual feel. One can imagine finding this same neighborhood vibe in Spain, Italy or France. Block is often very busy for dinner, and service sometimes comes at a slower, European pace.

The nice thing about the menu is that you can get playful with it and make a meal out of two appetizers, two boards, or a sandwich and a salad. On my first visit, my partner and I ordered a ’njuda (spicy Italian pork) sandwich plus a charcuterie board with our personal selections of pâté, prosciutto and bresaola (cured Italian beef).

The charcuterie board impressed visually and on the tongue: Shaved almonds, neat piles of meat, mustard, pickled cauliflower and beets were served with small slices of bread. The best meat was the pâté, with a rich buttery flavor that didn’t come with an iron aftertaste, as is common with other pâtés. The bresaola was the plainest—sort of like fancy beef jerky.

The ’njuda sandwich tasted startlingly spicy and salty, with rich melted cheese and ground meat spread between pressed slices of bread. Perhaps it could’ve been paired with a milder cheese or some pickles to balance it out. Or maybe I should’ve just ordered an extra sweet wine or cocktail.

Two other pressed sandwiches I tried during subsequent visits impressed more than the first. One was a special house-smoked pastrami sandwich with pickles, sauerkraut and mustard. The other was a pressed serrano ham, manchego cheese, arugula and salsa sandwich. My favorite of the three I tried, it was like a cross between a cubano, a breakfast panini and a torta.

A seasonal summer salad with peaches, prosciutto, burrata cheese and balsamic vinaigrette made me feel like I was in Italy. Sweet and delicious as it was, it also seemed a bit light on the leafy greens that salads usually comprise, save for a few mint leaves.

Two smaller appetizers showed off even more plating mastery. An order of deviled duck eggs piled upon four slices of toast, topped with paprika and shaved bacon practically screamed to be posted on Instagram. It tasted great, too (but maybe could have used a hint of pepper). Stuffed piquillo peppers with anchovies, cheese, capers and olive oil showed off interesting texture not found in most other menu items.

Elsewhere on the menu, there are fine cocktails, an intimidating whiskey list, and a small but diverse selection of beer and wine (both regional and international). Service was great; every server I encountered answered questions and made helpful recommendations.

Block Butcher Bar’s mastery is the fact that this is slow food, served relatively fast. In other words, you won’t see Tuohy slaving away in a kitchen all day like he did when he helmed Grange. Here, he’s more of a curator. In fact, the only time I saw anyone prepping food at all was during lunch hour, when someone else was making a huge batch of some sort of salsa.

The beauty is that all the cheese, meat, pickles, etc., are already there, ready to be plated quickly—all at a price not that’s not too much more than fast food.