I once made a batch of this sangria and gave a Mason jar of it to my favorite deli guy, Mr. Frank.  He drank it right on the spot, at work, and then proceeded to give everybody kisses and tell them that he loved them.   So, maybe this stuff is a love potion too…    

2 750ml bottles Spanish red wine
3/4 cup brandy
3/4 cup simple syrup*
3/4 cup freshly squeezed orange juice
1/2 cup triple sec
2 apples, cored and thinly sliced
2 lemons, thinly sliced into rounds
2 oranges, thinly sliced into rounds

Combine all ingredients in a large pitcher, stir, cover and refrigerate for 2 days.  Serve over ice.

*Simple Syrup is equal parts granulated sugar and water.  To make it, add boiling water to sugar and stir until the sugar is dissolved.  Cool before use.

 Salud!

First Impressions: The space has lovely design features and atmosphere. However, the first thing you smell upon stepping in the door is fish. Also distracting, the air temperature was much too warm. This leads us to the WINE…

Due to the very warm temperature of the restaurant, my husband and I decided to go with a cool white wine for this evening’s meal. We chose a 2005 white Burgundy as it would be the most versatile white to complement both of our yet-to-be-determined meals. The wine was perfectly refreshing: fruity/floral aroma, crisp acidity, nice fruit, not oaky at all, subdued alcohol, medium body. The wait staff kept the bottle on ice for us and refilled appropriately.

The Amuse Bouche(s) for the evening were a vodka gelee garnished with fried capers and salmon roe served in a sterling silver spoon and a patty pan squash quarter garnished with grated turnip (I think that’s what the guy said), pesto and paprika served on a bamboo stick. My husband and I agreed, we liked the squash better than the gelee.

The evening’s bread selection was a delightfully salty corn bread.

First Courses: I had the Maine sea scallops with banana-curry sauce garnished with cashews and crispy fried okra. The scallops were humongous and perfectly cooked and the sauce was deliciously flavorful yet delicate and complimented the scallops nicely. My husband had the lamb’s tongue served with muffalatta presse, olives and capers. He said it was the highlight of his meal and my bite of the tongue was melt-in-your-mouth-tender and very rich.

Main Courses: I had the poached lobster served with dilled potatoes and garlicky greens. It was really good with fresh herb flavors and buttery, perfectly cooked lobster. The only issue I had was that some of the perfectly cut dices of potato were not fully cooked. My husband had the roasted sirloin and beef cheek lasagna garnished with wild mushrooms and red and white pearl onions. He loved the beef cheek lasagna but said that the roasted sirloin was nothing special.

Desserts: I had the cheese plate. Honestly, I do not remember what cheeses they were (there were 3) but they were very good. They were served with 2 types of bread and a handful of accompaniments. My husband had the peanut butter tart served with beer ice cream and pretzels.

Service: The service was very good and everybody was friendly. There was never a lag in clearing our plates and little wait between courses. The captain was very good with the up-sell; asking if we’d like to start the evening with a glass of Champagne or if I’d like a glass of dessert wine to go with my cheese plate.

With our check, we each received a macadamia nut truffle and a to-go sample of peanut butter granola which tastes awesome in yogurt.

We left Dovetail quite pleased with our evening. We may or may not return. It’s difficult to return to the same restaurant when there are so many others to try. But, I would highly recommend Dovetail to a friend.

My Rating (out of a possible 5):