Dovetail

May 22nd-

Last night my husband and I went to Dovetail for dinner. We had waited a while to eat here and were eager to see what Dovetail had to offer. I saw the chef on The Martha Stewart Show one day and made reservations immediately. That was about a month ago. I was wondering how I could have walked by this place almost everyday and never noticed it. Now I know. It is very discreet....located on 77th, not on one of the main streets. The interior is "spa like", to use my husband's description. The colors are muted. It is quiet and private. And.....you have ample room to yourself, unlike some places where they squish you in like sardines. You can actually hear what your dining partner is saying here, and you don't have to share your conversation with the rest of New York. What a novel idea! The staff was very friendly, knowledgeable and attentive. I felt as if these people had been in the business for quite some time and planned on staying in it, versus being served by wannabe actors just trying to support themselves between failed auditions. If they were actors....they were good! The food was out of this world! This restaurant is on a level way above the places we usually haunt. Everything was perfect.....and I mean everything. The menu was interesting. There were things that I ate that I never had before.....like sweetbreads. There were concoctions that had never dreamed of.....like Basil Ice Cream and Frozen Avocado Parfait. It was very exciting just to read the menu! First, they brought out some complimentary corn and cheese bread. I usually don't eat the bread, but this had cheese in it. It was good....nothing too crazy....just tasted like cornbread. Next came the amuse bouche.....a spoon of what tasted like caviar and a piece of turnip on a skewer. Ok....I'm intrigued. The first appetizer they brought to us was the Maine sea scallops with cashews and banana curry. Wow! More please! The curry would have been easy enough to make. We couldn't taste the banana in it at all, but the scallops were cooked to perfection. Next, they brought us the sweetbreads with fennel and poached egg. This was a very interesting dish for me, since I haven't had anything like this before. I can't say that it was my favorite dish of the night, but it was beautifully presented and quite good. The crab ravioli with chorizo and snow peas was next......marvelous! The pasta was light, and the crab was very tasty and not overpowered. You could taste every element of the dish. In fact, that was one of the things I really liked about this place. Each ingredient was very present, (except the banana in the curry). Each was there for a reason. The menu is very thought out. For our entree, we ordered the rack and shank of lamb with ratatouille. The lamb came out rare, which I liked, but I think Nathan might have preferred a little more done. At this point, I was willing to eat whatever the chef gave me, since I was now in awe of him and completely trusting. I was not disappointed. It was very satisfying and decadent. I loved the sauces that were drizzled on the plate alongside the meat....they added just a touch of something else to make it even more interesting. We ended the meal with a trio of ice cream.....rum raisin, chai latte and basil. This was the best ice cream that has ever touched my lips! Each one was a wonderful flavor in its own right, and the combination was very complimentary. My favorite was the basil, though. It was amazingly fragrant. It just exuded summer! I would have bought a pint and took it home with us if they would have let us. Of course, then I would have ended up eating the entire thing for breakfast. After that we parted ways and they sent us home with peanut butter granola for our breakfast in the morning. I don't really care too much for granola in general, but the offer left me feeling touched. What a magical place! Two thumbs, eight fingers and ten toes up! Amazing!