DavidBurke & Donatella has been getting mixed reviews recently, so I felt some trepidation when I walked in there for an impromptu lunch with DH. Excitement soon overcame any other feeling though. This is such a beautiful restaurant. We had to walk through two smaller dining spaces before we got to the main large dining room, which was buzzing with happy diners (you can tell). And the service was flawless throughout; right from the smiling young woman who took our coats and umbrellas, to all our waiters and servers. There was no "hovering" around our table, which I can't stand. Service was sincere, and that's the best kind.
Right off the bat, both DH and I were treated to fresh rosemary bread rolls, along with a pink slab of Himalayan salt, topped off with sweet butter. Pretty, no?! It was gooooooood start.
We were also pleasantly surprised by the great fixed price lunch options. A lot of great choices; three courses for only $24.07 per person. That's a DEAL by most standards, especially in the UES people! I ordered the California Scramble for my first course, which was an ostrich egg scrambled with veggies, and topped off with avocado and creme fraiche. Good brunch dish!
DH ordered the Salt n Pepper Calamari, which were the most tender calamari I'd ever had! They melted in my mouth. I soon switched appetizers with DH because I liked his a lot better than mine. DH wants to me state that he thought the calamari were too salty, just for the record.
Moving on to our second courses, I went for the Veal Saltimbocca. This was one fancy restaurant where neither DH nor I could complain about the portion sizes. Quite sizable, to say the least! So much so that I think they should make their appetizers a little smaller, so that people can have more room for the mains. The veal was good, but I didn't enjoy the coating, which I thought was browned too much. The garlicky spinach and smooth potato puree underneath were fabulous though.
DH enjoyed his Angus Burger, though he did not like eating it with a fork & knife! And frankly, neither of us is a fan of shoestring fries. We like 'em thicker, with more of a bite and chew to them.
Finally, we got to MY favorite part of any meal - desserts! And I must commend the pastry chef at DD&D for putting smiles on both our faces. My Butterscotch Pudding was smooth and caramel-ly, and I loved the addition of crunchy cocoa nibs on top ... I wanted more of those!
DH didn't think he would enjoy his Coconut Layer Cake, but shovelled it down with a big, happy grin on his face. I managed to sneak in a few bites and thought it was reeeeeeeeeeeally lovely, fresh and satisfying.
Overall, we had a really good meal, at an amazing price, in an elegant, friendly atmosphere. It felt truly special. So if anyone is in two minds about going to this restaurant, I would say GO. Take advantage of their wonderful lunch options. You won't regret it.
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2 comments:
Ohhhh! I wish I could try the rosemary bread rolls! Most kinds of bread make me very happy. And the California scramble actually looks really good. I haven't had ostrich egg before; does it taste different? is the texture different?...The Coconut Layer Cake looks very pretty (no I wouldn't eat, not a dessert person unless there's chocolate involved!)...is that orange sauce with the cake?
It's probably just my untrained palate, but I didn't think the ostrich egg tasted much different from a regular egg ... maybe a wee bit stronger. Texture was the same for sure. The sauce with the cake was strawberry. Numnum :)
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