When you walk in, your mouth will start watering, regardless of how hungry you are. I was starving and so excited to try a little bit of everything for this review. With the restaurant’s open kitchen, the smell of the food cooking was the only thing that made me stay after the friendly hostess apologetically told us the wait was a least 30 minutes. Not good news (you really don’t want to be around me when I’m hungry).
Thankfully, the hostess invited us to the bar. I ordered a glass of pinot grigio and watched the staff deliver food to nearby tables in the small restaurant with calming green walls and a blue ceiling. “Oh, I want one of those, and some of that, and after — I’m getting that,” I mused.
Our waiter arrived a minute after we were seated, which was great, because I really thought I was going to steal bread off a neighboring table. We quickly ordered the pizzata ($9.95) and the fried mozzarella ($8.95). The pizzata was light baked focaccia bread with the perfect amount of pesto and cheeses, topped with sweet yellow and red roasted peppers. We used toast points to scoop the perfectly melted mozzarella into our hungry little mouths.
The specials menu looked great and every table near us was ordering the mussels, but I opted for the open faced chicken quesadilla ($8.95). The tortilla was crisp, with fresh tomatoes and a light helping of cheese. The chicken was tender and the mango salsa was a flawless pairing for the apple-smoked bacon.
Perhaps if I had kept my hands off everyone else’s plates, I would have been able to eat more than two pieces of the tortilla. But I had to try to the open face steak sandwich ($10.95) and the Dogfish burger ($8.95)! Though I’d like more blue cheese crumbles on my steak, the meat was tender and the French bread was fresh. The burger was cooked just right and the fact that it’s organic — local meat on a wheat bulkie roll — well, you almost feel like you’re doing something good by eating it.
If you’re into sweet potato fries, The Dogfish Café has those too. When my friend forgot to order them with her sandwich, the waiter brought us a heaping bowl — at no charge. I couldn’t get enough of the homemade, perfectly salty and crispy chips to even bother trying the fries.
The waiter brought us the dessert menu but I had to say no to the pumpkin mousse pie, chocolate lava cake and tres leches. How unfortunate, considering I’ve been known to skip dinner just so I can have more dessert. Next time I swear I’ll save room.
My companion said, “Don’t quote me, but this place really is a diamond in the rough.” Sorry friend, you’ve been quoted and you are absolutely right. Located on the corner of St. John and Congress, it’s the fanciest thing this neighborhood has going.
We agreed that come winter, we want to be seated at one of the tables with a window view, cozied up and watching the flakes fall, over a pint of beer and a well prepared dish.