It’s time for Restaurant Week 2014 – Summer Edition! This time around, instead of going for Nobu again, I went straight for lunch reservations at Dovetail, which has been on my list for a while. Nestled in the heart of the Upper West Side, just steps away from Central Park and the American Museum of Natural History, Dovetail has earned a Michelin Star for three consecutive years.

The maître d’ greeted us the moment we walked through the door. We arrived 15 minutes before our reservation time but they seated us right away anyways. The dining room is modern and airy. The seats were so comfy! We were given menus to look over and our orders were taken soon after. Our waiter didn’t even bat an eyelid when we said we wanted to do the Restaurant Week menu – no attitude change at all!

After we ordered we were given the “bread” platter, which consisted of two pieces of a biscuit-like cornbread and two mini riceballs. I’m not normally a huge fan of cornbread or biscuits but this one was pretty good. It was soft and moist and served warm, which I really liked. The mini riceballs were also pretty good – I thought it was more flavorful than the ones at All’onda.

I decided on the Melon Gazpacho with cucumber, basil, and house made cottage cheese. It was a bit hot outside during our walk to the restaurant so this chilled soup really hit the spot for me. The gazpacho tasted exactly like a melon but the cucumber, basil and cottage cheese helped temper the sweetness. I really liked this dish – I just wish there was more!

The Boyfriend went with the Steak Tartare with poblano, cured jicama, and tostada. The tostada was basically a flat taco shell, which we thought was a bit odd. The steak tartare isn’t as finely cut as what we’re used to so the texture was definitely a bit weird. It was a good steak tartare, but I don’t think it’s the best one I’ve had to date.

I went with the Long Island Hake with sweet potato puree, snap peas, and a coconut emulsion for my entree. There aren’t quite words to describe how satisfied I was with my selection. The presentation of the dish was very similar to my gazpacho – the dish with all solid ingredients was placed and then the liquids poured on over it. The hake was cooked perfectly – just a bit of clear in the middle. The sweet potato puree was sweet and paired very well with the simple hake. My favorite part of the dish, however, was the coconut emulsion. It was light, refreshing and super fragrant.

The Boyfriend decided on the Barbecued Pork Shoulder with summer squash, white bean, and capers. I had a bite of his dish and thought it a was very flavorful. The pork shoulder was tender but a bit on the dry side. There was a strong barbecue taste so it worked very well with the more simpler flavors of the squash and beans.

I was torn between the three dessert options but I ultimately decided on the Dark Chocolate Cheesecake with cherries, hazelnuts, and buttermilk. I thoroughly enjoyed my dessert. Usually cheesecake is very sweet but the dark chocolate helped even out the sweetness. The cherry sauce went really with the cheesecake because it was a bit tart while the dark chocolate was a bit bitter.

The Boyfriend went with the “Horchata” or panna cotta with berries and citrus. You can never really go wrong with a panna cotta and that definitely applies here. The berries were nice and tart and mixed with the panna cotta very well.

Service was prompt and attentive. Our water glasses were refilled frequently and our dishes came in a timely manner. For $25.00, I think it’s well worth it to try out a Michelin starred restaurant that’s normally well over $80 for a regular meal. I definitely enjoyed my meal at Dovetail. Everything tasted great – especially my hake!