Summer Associates Lunch Series - Dona

Another day, another lunch. This time, I decided to try out a new restaurant that had only opened for a couple of weeks, called Dona. The restaurateur behind this creation was an ex-attorney, what an appropriate place for summer lunches. The chef is Michael Psilakis, and the cuisine is a blend of Greek and Italian. The date was May 24.

First, lets start with the décor, which was completely WHITE. It is pleasant and seems to put people at ease, but at the same time, it is just WHITE. I am not sure if everyone will like it, but hey, it was kind of cool and as long as it does not give me the hospital feel (which many WHITE themed restaurant tend to make me feel), I am fine with it. I think a review on New York magazine calls the décor Mediterranean white, which I guess I can agree with that, at least from what I know about the Mediterranean watching TV, haven’t never actually been there.

On to the food, which is always more important than the décor, although, the wrong lighting and the wrong décor can and will change a person’s perception about a meal. For me, since it was lunch, the weather was nice outside, and the restaurant has a wide open window at the front that allows the sun to shine through, I thought I was sort of kind of eating in a Mediterranean restaurant. However, before I went, I had just read the review on New York magazine, I keep on thinking there is Greek influence in the cuisine, and I am going to the Mediterranean Coast in 2 weeks, probably all had something to do with the way I felt.

I ordered the Crudo as appetizers, which comes with two dishes, (i) sea urchin, burrata caviar with fava bean puree and (ii) Kumamoto oyster, pink grapefruit, salty ginger, pink shallot vinaigrette. The two dishes alternate, with 3 small bowl of each. The appetizers were light, perfect for a summer day and a glass of rosé or light white wine (which too bad, I did not have), or some cava or prosseco. However, I can’t help but noticing that the main ingredients themselves, i.e. sea urchin or Kumamoto oysters, are kind of robbed of their natural flavors. The sea urchin, which has a natural sweetness, are somewhat dulled by the saltiness of the caviar. The oysters are slightly better but also a little salty. The entrée, roasted Shetland cod with little neck clams and I think chorizo, is amazing and delicious. The cod was flavorful with a slight crunchy crust, the clams add another dimension to the dish while the chorizo enhances the taste sensations, but at the same time, the dish was not rich and heavy, but just right. In order to stay with the same theme for some food that goes well in the summer, I decided to get some gelato and sorbet: lavender peach sorbet, blood orange, a bittersweet chocolate gelato that I cannot remember the name of. The peach sorbet was wonderfully sweet and made me felt like I was eating one of those sweet and juicy Japanese peaches served at the right temperature with lots of juice flowing in my mouth with each bite. The bittersweet chocolate gelato has the right combination of sweetness and the bitterness of a dark chocolate, something a lot of chocolate gelato or ice cream cannot easily achieve. The blood orange sorbet, however, was a little disappointing, a little too acidic.

Overall, I am very happy eating here. A glass of wine or two would have been perfect or if I can transfer this meal to when I am on vacation in two weeks, eating at a fancy restaurant near the beach and enjoying the cool breeze of the Mediterranean sea, sipping on a nicely chilled rosé, and just enjoying life. Perhaps this meal can be a prelude to what I will get to enjoy on vacation.

Coming next – more restaurants, more food, and some celebrity sightings.