I recently had lunch at DoveCote, coined as a modern brasserie, now open on the ground floor of the Bank of America Center at 390 N. Orange Ave.
Led by Chef Clayton Miller, a past winner of a “Best New Chef” award from Food & Wine Magazine, the restaurant draws inspiration from classic French cuisine to refine his take on dishes such as Cote De Boeuf, Steak Frites and Bouillabaisse. DoveCote also features a raw bar serving a curated assortment of oysters, shrimp, mussels, clams and other seasonal seafood selections.
In addition to daily lunch and dinner service, DoveCote offers a coffee and pastry breakfast Monday to Friday beginning at 7 a.m. until supplies last. A craft coffee menu and barista service is available all day.
I recently went to visit with some friends for a lovely lunch there. Inside, the restaurant is furnished with a rustic French look, kind of like something out of the department store, Anthropologie. The seating was a bit uncomfortable as I recalled being a little bit too close to other diners. It may be a turnoff for those who prefer their lunch conversations private.
We began with an order of the pain maison, the house bread rolls accompanied with black olive butter and roasted garlic.
I ordered the Croque Monsieur, $15, a wonderful French style ham and gruyere cheese sandwich topped with more cheese and mornay sauce. The bread was flavorful and soft, and overall the sandwich was a delight.
My dining companions had the chicken salad croissant sandwich and the shaved roast beef sandwich. Both were well received.
DoveCote is open Monday to Friday 7:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m., Saturday 5:00 p.m. to 10:00PM and closed Sunday.
