Dovetail is secretly tucked away on 77th right around the corner from Columbus Ave's AMNH and Danny Meyer's newly opened Shake Shack. I've been for dinner and loved the choices and refinement that the clean, simple space provides. Under the harsher glare of daylight, and without the softness of dimmed lighting, the oak tables and grass-green upholstered chairs take me back to the décor of a 1970s Denny's diner. Not my style but some may enjoy the retro feel. Luckily I'm more interested in the food, and both John Fraser and Vera Tong deliver.
The brunch menu is truly impressive offering traditional staples like steak and eggs, slight variations on themes with crab benedict and fun adventures like shirred eggs with truffles. To start the day off right, we had some of Vera's fabulous pastries - a savory corn top with perfect buttery edged crispness, an onion focaccia, and a sweet crumb muffin. Next was a sampling of canapés - yogurt parfait, parsnip soup, cucumber tea sandwich, and a duck meatball. They were amusing, my favorite being the parfait topped with granola crunch and a sour zing provided by the pomegranate seeds.
Next up was an amazing spread of selections. The first smell that caught my attention was the truffles beautifully shaved and generously topping the shirred eggs. Fabulous earth flavor. The cavatelli with duck goulash was richly topped with a freshly poached hen's eggs, perhaps a little under-poached but since it was so fresh, I'd rather have it served that way then overcooked. The patty melt madame was one of my favorite, balancing the lean and succulent vela burger with egg and provolone smartly layered over a bed of bread cubes seasoned and flavored with a light vinegar flavor allowing the acidity to nicely cut through the richness of the egg and veal. Yummy balance. What really surprised me was the french toast. I'm not a sweets person but this was superb, more and interpretation of a bread pudding. The airy and soft center of the french toast melted in my mouth while the crusted edge was crunchy perfection. Accompanying apples were tasteful and flavorful, not overcooked or overly spiced, allowing the apple essence to shine through. Just a drizzle of maple syrup was just right; we only used half that served. A side of thickly cut Nueske's bacon complemented the main courses nicely. And we finished off with a luscious assortment of Vera's desserts. The palate cleanser of aloe with a touch of rose petal was divine. Who knew aloe could taste so fresh and lovely? Balanced and wonderful - one of the best ways to spend a Sunday in New York.
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