EST. 2011 BY LIZ RUEVEN
Mondays at Dovetail in NYC

Mondays at Dovetail in NYC

Mondays are the perfect night to visit Dovetail in NYC.

 

Chef/Owner John Fraser has carved a meatless Monday niche for vegetarians and those who are kosher like me.

 

Options are plentiful and preparations are elegantly plated in this contemporary dining room with a casual but grown up vibe. No need to settle for just any ol’ salad or vegetable laden pasta here.

The Monday night vegetarian menu is prix fixe at $46. which includes three generous courses and dessert. There are three options in each of these categories and a list of eight desserts made by pastry chef Michal Selkowitz.

If you relish great vegetarian preparations that celebrate the bounty of each season, plan ahead in order to reserve your Monday night table. I waited two weeks for a res at a decent dinner hour.

We were three diners but one opted out of the  veg menu.  M  and I are the kosher keepers who keep the rules by eating veg when away from our kosher kitchen. We loved the enticing options on this sophisticated menu and dug in with gusto.


We opted for Long Island squash soup (vegan) which was sunny with orange veg and tangy with apple shavings. The kale was quickly sauteed in a hot pan and provided an unexpected and delicious crunch in each spoonful.

I loved the turnip ceviche and thought it was the most creative use of ingredients of the offerings. Pert, raw turnips in a traditional lime bath were nestled in a plate of quinoa with bits of habeneros. The heat of the peppers against the chill of the turnips was delicious and pleasantly yin/yang.
Onto the second course and I took the risk of ordering General Tso’s seitan.  Now, I know my way around seitan and recognize that the texture can be finicky, even downright weird. I figured that it would be handled well here.  Unfortunately it was rubbery and overly salty. The  mound of gluey, sticky coconut rice made it even worse. It was the disappointment of the evening.

Crispy cauliflower was a winner, though,  with its crunchy, jerk spiced florets providing a perfect counterpoint to a simple poached egg.
We were stuffed but pressed on to our third course.  Swiss chard filled ravioli were delicate and bright with preserved lemon and thyme. The pasta was perfectly al dente and punctuated with sweet bites of petite cipollini onions.

I revisited the sweet potato tart tatin at home, the morning after and didn’t bother to warm it up.
 Hello Gorgeous!
Thinly shaved discs of sweet potato and apples were glazed in maple syrup and layered on a perfect crust with roasted sweet onions, pecans, ricotta and frisee.Next time I will enjoy it properly warmed, the morning after such a satisfying meal, with my first cup of strong coffee.
Dessert seemed unthinkable after this marathon but you know what happened when it is “included”.  We chose the apple pie profiteroles (there is always one in the crowd that can’t resist anything apple), lemon yogurt panna cotta, and chocolate bread pudding.
After this big meal, we could have shared one dessert but having tasted all three I vouch for them all.  I opted for the cooling lemon panna cotta with its velvety texture and vanilla citrus sorbet.

The chocolate bread pudding was the exact opposite with extra heat infusing the warm oozing chocolate layers with the addition of cayenne seasoned marshmallows.
It is well worth planning ahead to secure your Monday night reservation. Dovetail provides a varied, seasonal, innovative menu for anyone seeking non-meat options.
 Be assured that there are plenty of vegetarian options during the week also, making this a great choice any time  for those who are kosher keepers seeking thoroughly modern veg preparations.


3 Comments

  3. […] “Options are plentiful and preparations are elegantly plated in this contemporary dining room with a casual but grown up vibe. No need to settle for just any ol’ salad or vegetable laden pasta here. The Monday night vegetarian menu is prix fixe at $46. which includes three generous courses and dessert. There are three options in each of these categories and a list of eight desserts made by pastry chef Michal Selkowitz. If you relish great vegetarian preparations that celebrate the bounty of each season, plan ahead in order to reserve your Monday night table. I waited two weeks for a res at a decent dinner hour.”–Kosher Like Me […]

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SIDE DISH
Photo by Jerri Graham Photography

Hi. I’m Liz and I welcome you to Kosher Like Me.

When I’m not caressing fruits and veggies at my local farmers’ market you’ll likely find me chatting with like-minded eaters, probing the scene in NYC or seeking inspiration in my spice cabinet. Life outside of this blog is all about my family, tasty travel adventures and power walks deep in the CT woods or along the shore.

Please brew a fragrant cup of tea, grab a nosh and stay a while.